


Moi et Toi (You and Me)

by paradoxicallysimplistic



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Character's Name Spelled as Jaeger, Cute Eren Yeager, Domestic Fluff, EreRi Big Bang 2017, Ereri Big Bang, Established Relationship, Family Fluff, Fluff, French Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Levi/Eren Yeager-centric, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mikasa Ackerman & Levi Are Related, No Angst, Professor!Levi, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Secret Relationship, Teasing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, ebb2k17, student!eren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-16 02:54:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 33,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13627086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paradoxicallysimplistic/pseuds/paradoxicallysimplistic
Summary: Eren is more than ready to graduate. He's in the last semester of his senior year at Trost University. And in a committed relationship with his boyfriend, who he's known for a long time.But... there's onetinyproblem. The professor teaching his Introductory French class - a class Eren needs to graduate - is out to get him!Alternatively...a fluff-fest of Eren and Levi navigating their relationship, while trying to keep it a secret.Artwork now up! (see Chapters 7 & 9 orhere)!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Heya~ This is my second EBB submission (#12 - modern AU). Had a lot of fun writing fluff (Too bad there's no tag for Fluff^10000). It's my first time using this type of POV (aka everyone's), so I hope it reads well.
> 
> I want to thank perksofbeingawaifu and bfketh (hope you're feeling better btw) for organizing EBB. But more importantly, I want to thank aargle_baargle for being a beta and all their wonderful support throughout!
> 
> But most of all, I want to thank [miichiwashere](https://michiiwashere.tumblr.com/) for doing some amazing artwork (see Chapter 7 & 9) on this piece within less than a month! You're amazing and thank you so much for offering to be a pinch hitter!
> 
> Thanks for reading! As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!

“Ahhh… fuck! Yes, there!”

Moans echoed through the bedroom even though it was nearly midnight on a Sunday and both occupants would be needed elsewhere Monday morning. But they didn’t bother with keeping track of time, too busy coupling and seeking completion in one another.

It was past one in the morning when the two in the room finally stopped, showered, and went to bed. The new day had begun, and it was one for which they would need to be prepared.

 

“Shit, shit, shit!” Eren swore under his breath as he sprinted down the hallway, desperately searching for the lecture hall for his first class of the new semester. Although it was his last year of college, the campus was still a veritable maze to him. It certainly did not help that he had no clue where 104 MARIA HALL was supposed to be. The building was easy to locate, but the room layout was impossible to figure out.

“Ow. Watch where you’re going!”

“Sorry!” He didn’t bother looking backwards, quickly yelling out the apology for accidentally bumping into someone, and continued his mad search for the elusive classroom.

The rumor was that the Intro French class he was taking as a language requirement (and therefore only needed to pass) was taught by one of the most demanding instructors on campus. One who, rumor had it, had locked someone out for being late to their final exam last semester. Eren had learned not to heed online comments about the classes, or at least take the opinions in with a grain of salt. Many of the horror stories were negligence on the students’ part, and they were simply ranting out their frustrations.

It had been over three years since he had taken any language class, though, so Eren wasn’t sure what to expect. High school Spanish had been challenging, but thankfully he had been able to sponge off Armin’s genius. At least, Connie and Sasha were also in the class. It was just the three of them: him, Connie, and Sasha, and while none of them had any familiarity with the language, knowing someone was better than having no one. They could study together, share notes, and commiserate over the course. They were all pretty psyched for the class though. Sasha in particular, since she wanted to visit France and go on a grand eating tour, but needed to know the language to do so.

The sight of a bright white ‘1(’ painted on a grey door caught Eren’s attention. Had he not turned and looked to his left, he would have missed it entirely. Doubling back to check, he sighed in relief as the other ‘)4’ appeared.

Finally.

Shifting his backpack, the brunet straightened himself before pulling open the door and stepped in, looking for his friends. In the back row, he could see Sasha sit up and wave excitedly at him.

“Hey guys, I’m so sorry I’m late! The room was impossible to find.” He began making his way to the back of the room, not noticing the hush in the rest of the small lecture hall.

“Oi, you there!” A low, masculine voice in the front called out.

“Me?” Eren pointed to himself, confused at being singled out by the short dark-haired man who looked too young to be even teaching the class. If anything, he’d put the guy’s age to be closer to his than an actual professor’s.

“Yes, you! Sit down and shut up, _brat_. You’re disrupting class.”

Blinking at being addressed so rudely, it took him a moment to register what had been said. Making himself seem as inconspicuous as possible, Eren hurried towards the back of the room to find a seat beside his friends, before his French lecturer could pick on him again. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him on his first day of classes. This had never happened in his three years in college!

“Woah, dude. Did you do anything to annoy the prof?” Connie whispered at him as he neared. “He looks like he wants to eat you alive.”

Before Eren could respond, the dark-haired shorty in the front called out again. “You, bald kid in the back. I can hear you whispering!”

Exchanging nervous glances with his friends, Eren felt his impending doom as he quietly pulled his chair in and tried not to draw any more attention to himself. Maybe he should have heeded those reviews about the class a little more. After nearly finishing his degree, the last thing Eren wanted was a difficult time with his language instructor. Hopefully, as things were always chaotic on the first day of classes, the dark-haired man wouldn’t be able to tell who he was.

 

“ _Le idiots_ …” Levi sighed and took in a deep breath and faced the class once more. “Now, as I was saying before being _rudely_ interrupted…” he caught sight of the late messy-haired brat shrinking in his seat, “your grade in this class will be comprised of three assignments worth five percent each, a midterm worth twenty percent, a final worth thirty percent, and an oral exam worth twenty-five percent. _Prompt_ attendance,” he shot another glare towards the back row to see the brunet had nearly vanished under the desk, “and participation will be worth ten percent. You can find the syllabus online. Any questions?”

There were a few coughs and a handful shook their heads.

Good. Levi hated dealing with bullshit questions. Going through the syllabus was stupid – it was all published online – but necessary. Half the shits wouldn’t even read it and would spam him with stupid emails. He even had a policy of docking participation or assignment points, if it was for an assignment, whenever they asked stupid questions, such as when the due dates were, to reduce the number of emails received. Not that it always worked…

“Any late assignment will be docked ten percent per day and any assignment turned in over a week late will be given a zero. Due dates are on the syllabus. There will be no exceptions.” The murmuring in the class continued and he ignored it. “Further, anyone wishing to contest their grade can do so. However,” Levi paused for emphasis, “asking for a regrade _may_ result in your grade going _down_.”

“But…” A girl in the front raised her hand timidly.

“Yes?”

“What if we’re sick and can’t hand it in?”

“I understand that people do get sick and things do happen, but I will need a doctor’s note for any medical absences. And similar documentation for other cases.” He wasn’t a monster and didn’t expect the impossible, but Levi hated giving academic concessions for stupid reasons. His job wasn’t to babysit hormonal brats, most of whom were underage but drank anyways, and handhold them through the course; it was to teach the materials. Back when he was still completing his doctorate, he had a student ask if they could skip the tutorial session and complete it at home for full points in lieu of a Halloween party that evening. Needless to say, no such privilege was granted, and he still remembered the idiotic mug of the student who asked such an inane question. “However, to ensure that you have completed the assignment, please email or scan me a copy of your assignment before class to prove its complete, and then hand it in as soon as possible. Understood?”

There was a small nod in response.

“Now, laptops and tablets are allowed for learning purposes only. No cellphones or other devices. Anyone caught goofing off on their phones will be immediately asked to leave and points will be taken off from their participation.”

Levi could see a few students hurriedly shuffling their phones away. He had kicked a student out last semester. The retard had been sitting in the second row and goofing off, disrupting the learning of everyone around him. It had been vastly satisfying seeing the gob-smacked expression the entitled asshole as he was ushered out. The kid had threatened to sue the university for unfair discrimination, but since the expectations were clearly laid out in the syllabus and Levi had gone through all of them on the first day, they had dropped the accusation. The retard had probably ranted on Trost Confessionals about how Levi was the worst professor ever, but the Frenchman didn’t care. Any moron(s) using such methods to decide whether to take his class shouldn’t even be in the class.

Another hand went up and he pointed at the nerdy kid in glasses. “What if we want to record the lecture with our phones?”

Levi had to give the kid points for being innovative. Listening and oral skills were a large part of mastering any language which was why he had allocated a quarter of the grade towards it. Unfortunately, it was impossible to have a larger oral component given how large the classes were; there was only one of him and too many of them. “All lectures will be recorded and posted online in the evening after every class.” He held up the small recording device. It wasn’t on right now, since this was the first day and there wasn’t anything useful being taught yet. “However, I assure you that anyone attempting to skip class and rely solely on the recordings will have a difficult time passing.”

A hand from the back corner where the brats had been interrupting popped up. Levi scowled at the sight of someone snacking in the back of the room. “I have not yet mentioned this, but I will not allow any food in this class. Drinks yes, but no food. It is distracting both in terms of sound and smell.” He had a small ounce of satisfaction seeing the brunette who was stuffing her face hurriedly put her bag of chips away. Another hand came up and Levi turned to point at it. “In the middle, what’s your question?”

The rest of the lecture proceeded rather similarly. By the time Levi had finished, there was only ten minutes left, so he dismissed them early. The rowdy brats in the back quickly hurried out, but not before he pointed a glare at them, memorizing each of their faces. He might not know all their names just yet, but he would certainly learn them by the end of the semester if they stayed in his class. It was clear by the expressions on some faces that a good handful of people would be dropping though.

If any shits were in his class because they wanted an easy grade or language credit, it’d be better if they left. Levi had no qualms about failing people. They were in university and if they failed, they deserved to fail. His strict policies were made on purpose because it meant those who stayed either really wanted to learn or needed it, meaning that everyone who remained would actually _try._ The last thing he wanted to deal with were shitstains who wanted to take his class since everything was recorded and they technically did not need to attend classes to pass.

It was also a little more satisfying and easier to teach a small class, particularly for a language such as French. Forty to fifty students was manageable, but difficult. Something in the ballpark of thirty was preferred. While there was a departmental teaching assistant that helped with grading and prevented it from being too burdensome, Levi would prefer thirty dedicated students than fifty slackers.

Packing up his bag, he left the room as the next batch of shitty brats began to trickle in.

 

“How was your first day so far?”

“Ugh, horrible.” Eren groaned, lightly banging his head on the table. While he hadn’t been singled out in his second class, it was only marginally better than Intro French. His senior-level aerodynamics instructor had already started teaching the material on the first day and had given them an assignment due next week. The brunet wished he could go back home and sleep, but he had one more class and a lab afterwards.

“How so?”

“He was late for class.” Connie replied, munching on his lunch. “Got chewed out by the prof.”

“I was _five_ minutes late. Eren grumbled, picking at his burger. “Slept through my alarm and couldn’t find the room.” And it wasn’t even his fault he was late in the first place…

“Are you okay?” Mikasa shot him a worried glance.

“Yeah, I’m good.” He sighed, taking a large sip of his mocha latte. “I just didn’t expect it to happen on my first day of classes.” It would never have happened to Armin or Mikasa. They were both straight-A students who barely missed classes unless it was another class-related reason and would likely pass their Honors program _summa cum laude_. Instead, here he was, late for his first class and already being called out for it.

“Who are you taking it with?”

“Ackerman.” Eren spat out the word. At first glance, Levi Ackerman barely looked old enough to teach the class. He was smaller than most students and barely looked twenty. But, as listed on the campus directory, the short dark-haired man was legitimately one of Trost University’s professors, albeit an adjunct.

“Wait.” Jean interrupted, his horse-faced visage leaning forward to look at their end of the table. “The three of you are taking French with the midget professor?”

“Yup, we decided to take it together. Sash wants to go on a food tour after we graduate, so knowing French when we’re in France is kinda needed.” Connie replied, glancing at his girlfriend who nodded and continued eating. Sasha was a little bummed about the food rule, but it wasn’t the first time it had happened. “It was the only one that fit both our schedules.”

“And you, Eren?” Marco asked, genuinely curious. His friend wasn’t the type to select a course with such a challenging professor. Then again, Eren was known for his stubborn streak.

“Same thing. It was the only class that fit my schedule and wouldn’t require me waking up super early.” Eren knew he should have looked into and completed the language requirement sooner, but he had been caught up with all the engineering and applied physics classes. The three measly second language credits had slipped his mind. The other viable options were German or Spanish at eight in the morning, Arabic late in the afternoon, or Chinese in the evening. Eren would have preferred learning German – it’d make his mom happy – but there was no way in hell he was going to wake up so early for an eight a.m. class. And he had no interest in remaining on campus so late for the purpose of learning a second language he had no interest in.

“Dude, that sucks. I heard he’s _brutal_.” Jean whistled. “I had Professor Carven for Spanish last year. She was tough, but not that crazy.” He had finished the class with a solid B+. “She’d be totally my type if she let her hair down for a bit.”

“Seriously, Jean? You need to get yourself laid.” Eren taunted. Jean was infamous in their group for failing to have a relationship for more two months. His last one had ended just shy of three weeks. If it wasn’t that, the horseface would be checking out the nearest female, even if they weren’t available. “But I don’t think anyone will want someone whose face looks like a horse.”

“Take that back, Jaeger. I haven’t seen you in a relationship or anything either.”

“How do you know?” Eren retorted.

“Cut it out you two.” Marco stepped in. They had all met through rooming in the same dorm or as a friends’ friend, but Eren and Jean had never really gotten along. The rivalry had started out three years ago during the first week of classes at eleven p.m. in the dorm’s late-night convenience store when both hardheaded freshmen had reached out for the same last pint of rocky road ice cream. Things had only gone sideways ever since. They were quite similar in many ways. Both were highly competitive, stubborn, and cared deeply about their friends, but that was also why Eren and Jean didn’t get along. Several times, Marco had had to intervene to get Jean to back down, while Armin would do the same for Eren.

“Oh, did you know that Professor Ackerman actually made someone cry last year?” Ymir mentioned out of the blue. She had never taken the class, having finished her language requirements in her first year before he began teaching, but one of her friends’ friends had.

“Damn, Jaeger. You’re _screwed_.” Jean whistled.

“Shut up and go die, horseface.” Eren stuck out his middle finger at the bastard. If it weren’t for Marco and the others in their group of friends, he wouldn’t even choose to hang around the horse-faced jerk. He’d take sitting around on the field or even the library and doing nothing over being around Jean.

“What was that, you suicidal bastard?”

Before the conversation could escalate even further, Reiner and Bertolt came into view. “Hey guys, we finally found you. This place is like insane today.”

“Yeah.” The chatter in the dining area was almost deafening, but they had been lucky to claim a quieter corner for themselves. “How’s Annie doing?”

“She’s good. Still in class with Armin.” Eren nodded understandingly. They were in that romantic Cloud Nine stage where everything was cotton candy and unicorns. Armin had been crushing on Annie since freshman year, but they had only begun dating last semester after Armin finally mustered the courage to ask her out. It was kind of weird seeing his best friend act like that, but it certainly was better than Armin constantly pining after Annie.

“Eren.” Mikasa said, immediately grabbing his attention despite how soft-spoken she was. “We need to go, otherwise we’ll be late.”

Quickly checking his watch, Eren blanched as he realized there was only ten minutes left before his next class: Physics 358. He needed it for his engineering degree and Mikasa needed it for her physical therapy and sports medicine degree. It was unlikely for anything too important to be covered, but it was a safer bet if they arrived on time. The last thing Eren wanted was for a repeat of what happened in French.

“Shit, sorry guys! We need to run.” Grabbing his drink, he pushed the remnants of his lunch towards Sasha. “You can have the rest of it, Sasha.”

“Really?” Her eyes shone with delight at the sight of a full serving of fries.

“Yup. I’ll see you guys later!”

“Yeah, you’d better not be late again, Jaeger!” Jean called out and received yet another middle finger from Eren.

 

Sighing to himself as the elevator dinged open, Eren walked wearily down the hall to his apartment. The craziness of the first day was finally over and all he wanted to do was eat dinner and collapse on the bed. The door shut with a quiet click and he quickly kicked off his shoes, picking them up and placing them on the shoe rack against a pair of newly polished black loafers. He did the same with his jacket, shrugging it off and hanging it in the closet which was filled with an assortment of casual jackets, similar to the one he had taken off, on one side and fancy looking overcoats made of wool and leather, clearly used by someone else, on the other.

He didn’t bother making his presence known as he headed into the living room to put down his bag. Eren had already made it clear what time he would be returning today, and by the looks and smells, the apartment’s other inhabitant had managed to time dinner to match his timing down to a T.

The most noticeable thing in the living room was the large widescreen television linked up to a game console, large speakers, and an assortment of other electronic devices, which adorned the far wall. The curtains were left mostly open, allowing natural light to enter from the balcony. Scattered along the bookcase and television were a couple of framed pictures and other small trinkets giving the posh interior a homey feel. The apartment and furnishings – a plush leather sofa and couch, black coffee table, and polished silver floor lamp to name a few – were clearly beyond the typical college student’s budget. Eren certainly did not have the funds to afford it. It had taken him a couple of days when he first moved in to get used to having a living room and kitchen that wasn’t cramped, but this was his home.

As if to prove his point, a familiar voice called out from the kitchen. “Is that you, Eren?”

“Yup! I just got back.”

“Good. Go wash your hands. Dinner’s ready.” Trudging towards the sound, Eren spied his boyfriend in the kitchen with his back turned. His significant other looked to be scooping something onto a plate. Whatever it was, it smelled fantastic. He was blessed with having a boyfriend with amazing culinary skills. Eren had tried learning from him before, but it was still very much a work in progress. Eren either burned things or somehow injured himself in the process which frustrated his boyfriend to no end. Hurriedly washing his hands in the kitchen sink, he poured out a glass of water and grabbed the cutlery.

“Mm… missed you.” Pressing a small kiss to the older man’s temple, Eren wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, making sure not spill anything as he peeked over his lover’s shoulder. There were two plates of what looked to be Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. “That looks good.”

“Tch, I need to put this down. Let go of me.” Frowning, Eren released his hold and followed him to the table, setting down the cutlery and sitting down as he waited for his boyfriend to return with a glass and bottle of wine in hand.

“How was your first day of classes?”

“Yeah, I was going to ask you about that. What was that for this morning, Leviii?” Eren whined, pouting at his boyfriend _and_ French lecturer. The button-down and slacks Levi had worn earlier were replaced by a pair of jeans and t-shirt, and the dark-haired man looked completely at ease as he poured himself a generous serving of wine.

“You _were_ late for class, Eren.”

Levi’s first day of the semester wasn’t much better in comparison. There were late students, Eren being a prime example, some who whined after class about what counted as an excusable absence, and blind idiots milling in the hallways blissfully unaware of their surroundings. He had long since gotten used to being shorter than average, but dealing with immature college brats made it that much more frustrating.

“But it’s your fault I was late!” Eren shot back angrily. Levi had made it explicitly clear that while he was able to teach Eren’s class, albeit not grade anything, he wasn’t going to treat Eren any differently. That was fine and dandy, but he hadn’t expected to be singled out so blatantly on his first day.

“Really?” Levi arched a brow as he swirled the dark plum Beaujolais he had opened earlier, taking a sip between talking. Even though he had moved and immigrated to the States when he was nine, he still held French citizenship and retained an appreciation for many French things, including wine.

“Yes really.” Eren harrumphed, stabbing a broccoli floret for emphasis.

“Who was it who begged me to continue until one in the morning last night?” If he wasn’t used to waking up so early, Levi doubted he would have arrived on time to set up and get ready for the first class.

“But you could have woken me up or given me a ride at least!” Eren argued hotly. Yes, he had been horny and asked Levi to fuck him. Yes, the sex had been amazing as usual. And yes, he was a little sore and tired from everything. But Levi didn’t need to leave him in the lurch and then decide to pick on him in class!

“I did wake you up. Several times. Don’t blame me; you were the one who decided to go back to sleep.” Levi calmly cut into his food, not bothering to look up and deal with the stubborn hothead next to him. “And you were the one who decided to take the class. I told you not to.”

Earlier last week, Levi had brought up the potential ethical violation regarding his relationship with a student to the eccentric head of the department. Pixis, who had doubled as his PhD advisor, had waved him off with a humorous chuckle saying that he trusted Levi’s judgment on the matter. Levi often wondered whether Pixis was drunk or on drugs with how lax he was with everything. Luckily, Levi could minimize any biases he might have. To ease the burden of teaching an introductory language course, the department had flex teaching assistants whose role was to assist with grading, which he intended to take full advantage of; particularly when it came to grading Eren’s work. 

The part about giving Eren a ride to campus remained unanswered. Normally Levi walked or jogged to work, but it was a little chilly in January, which was why he had taken the car. They lived a decent twenty minutes walking, or two train stations away from campus, so it was easily commutable.

There was a mutual agreement between them to keep their relationship under wraps as much as possible until Eren had graduated. Being seen together in the car would only make that more difficult to hide. They weren’t technically breaking any laws by dating, but the last thing they wanted was for Eren’s parents to drag him back home to Shiganshina. Eren had barely persuaded them to let him stay with Levi in his senior year even though he was legally an adult and they had been dating for almost three years. Luckily, as of now, no one outside of their families knew of his relationship with Eren. Erwin likely suspected something and Hange had almost found out when she had broken into his apartment one Saturday evening, drunk off her rocker, but passed out before she could recognize Eren. She constantly teased him about the green-eyed cutie, but had no idea about Eren’s identity or what he was doing there.

“But I wanna spend more time with you. It’s my last year here… And I haven’t seen you teach yet.” Eren pouted, biting his lip childishly as he looked up to his boyfriend from under his long lashes. It was his last opportunity to stare at his lover while Levi spoke French. Levi didn’t speak often, but he loved the way the language of love simply flowed out from his boyfriend’s mouth. Eren had picked up a few phrases, such as ‘ _bonjour_ ’ or ‘ _au revoir_ ,’ but his linguistic abilities were still sorely lacking for the graduation trip they planned to take together in the summer. “Is that such a bad thing…?”

Although his face didn’t visibly change, Levi wanted to sigh. One would have expected that after facing Eren’s adorable kicked puppy expression multiple times, he would have been immune to it. But he still wasn’t. The brat had merely perfected it, knowing the perfect angle and how weak Levi was to it.

“You know the rules, brat.” It wasn’t as though Levi wanted to hide their relationship. Admittedly there had been a small thrill in the real beginning, but it was more a burden than anything. Hange would try to cajole him into going on dates or finding someone – Levi was sure Eren’s friends tried to do the same – and there was always the threat of exposure. But they had agreed to keep mum until after Eren graduated. Eren’s parents hadn’t insisted they keep it a secret, more like they didn’t want it affecting Eren’s education, but it was easier drawing a black line and sticking to it.

“I know. I haven’t told anyone.” Eren deflated visibly. “We’ve been together for nearly four years now and Mikasa is still the only one who knows about us.” Eren paused for a moment, thinking of his brilliant best friend as picked up his fork. “I think Armin might suspect something, but I don’t think he knows for sure.”

He had lived on campus the first three years, making it much easier to hide his relationship with Levi. But it was also harder, since they could only see each other on weekends or holidays. He had stayed over for a night or two occasionally, but it was completely different than living with Levi. Eren definitely preferred the latter.

“Hm.” Whether the blond mushroom found out was on Eren. Levi had seen the kid in passing before, but he had never talked to the so-called genius. With the way Eren described his best friend, their relationship would still be a secret in the unlikely event that Armin found out.

Levi finished chewing and swallowed, watching his younger half dig into dinner with gusto. “By the way, Aunt Minako called. She was asking whether you’d be free the last weekend of January.”

“Umm… I think so?” Eren furrowed his brow. Shinganshina was barely an hour’s drive away, so it was an easy trip, but he had hadn’t nailed down his schedule just yet.

“It’s for Mikasa’s birthday.” Levi shrugged, continuing to eat his meal. While they were family, he hadn’t grown up with that branch of the family the way Eren had been. Mikasa was his second or third cousin – Levi wasn’t sure – and he had only become acquainted to them after moving back to the area for university a couple of years back. “Just let me know.”

“Sure. I’ll let you know after dinner.”

“Good.” It would give him an excuse to stop his aunt from calling him every day to try and figure out when he was free. “And stop eating your food like a twelve-year-old, Eren. You’re making a mess everywhere.”

Eren took a look around, but there was no mess to be seen. The white-brown mash on green on his plate, however, was probably what Levi was referring to. “Levi, how is this a mess?” If the food had splattered on the table, he would have considered it a mess, but it hadn’t. “It tastes better when you mix everything together!”

“Tch, says the brat having temper tantrums at the sight of broccoli when he was five.”

“Whatever, you clean freak.” Eren muttered under his breath, continuing to eat his dinner the way _he_ wanted to.

 

* * *

 

_Ding dong._

_“Mummy, door! Door!” Eren shouted, not bothering to get up from the railroad and trains he was playing with in the living room._

_“I know, sweetie. Just a minute.” Carla Jaeger smiled at her playful toddler. Wiping her hands off on the dishcloth, she walked to the front door and opened it, smiling widely. On the other side was a dark-haired lady holding a small basket up. “Hi, can I help you?”_

_“Um, hi. I’m Kuchel Ackerman and this is my son. We just moved next door. I thought I’d stop by and bring you some of my homemade pear tarte tatin while saying hi.”_

_“Oh my, you shouldn’t have!” Carla took the offered basket and peeked inside. The sugary caramel scent wafting out was tantalizing. She had experience with cookies and butter cakes, but could never seem to get delicate pastries right. “It looks amazing. Would you like to come in?” She held the door open._

_“Oui, yes please.” Her newfound friend turned behind her and addressed her son in French. “Viens et dit salut, Levi.”_

_“Non, je veux rentrer chez moi, maman.” The young boy grumbled at his mother._

_“Levi.” Kuchel reprimanded her nine-year-old son as they followed Carla inside. It had been a difficult decision to uproot her family and move to the States, but after her divorce, it was the best option. Her brother, Kenny, who lived in nearby Trost, had been the one to suggest the idea. He had gotten a job in and moved to the States over a decade ago._

_“Mummy, who’s this?” There was a small tug on her pant leg and Carla looked down to see Eren peeking out next to her, wondering who the newcomers were._

_“Eren, these are our new neighbors. Say hi to Auntie Kuchel and her son…” Carla drifted off, waiting for the dark-haired lady to provide her son’s name._

_“Présentez-vous, Levi.” Kuchel told her son._

_“Maman!” The dark-haired boy grumbled loudly once more, reluctantly trudging inside his neighbor’s house. The other option was to run back to the new house, but it was just as strange as the home he was entering. Levi was comfortable with the sprawling lawns and houses of suburban Shiganshina. It felt like people were looking at him whenever they were out. There were no familiar faces around and everyone spoke a weird language._

_“Levi…”_

_“Bien.” The dark-haired boy sighed, taking a step forward. Glancing at the tiny brat staring at him with giant green eyes, he dismissed the kid, and spoke to the kid’s mother. “I’m Levi. Nice to meet you.” He hated the way English felt on his tongue; it was so_ weird _and harsh compared to his native tongue. French rolled off the tongue easier and the rules of grammar made sense._

_“Such manners from a handsome little man!” Levi scowled, unsure whether to be happy or insulted from the way Carla clapped her hands excitedly and praised him. No nine-year-old wanted to be called a ‘handsome little man.’ English might not be his native tongue, but he knew what ‘little’ meant. “Nice to meet you, Levi. This is my son, Eren.”_

_“Hi, I’m Eren!” The chubby green-eyed toddler waved excitedly at the dark-haired boy. He didn’t understand why the bigger boy was frowning. He couldn’t wait to show his new playmate all his toys! Like the choo-choo train set! “I’m free!” The three-year-old held up his hand and stuck out three fingers._

_“Maman, je ne joue pas avec un bébé.” Levi grumbled. Why was his mom forcing him to play with a baby? He wanted to go back to France. That’s where all his friends were. And he could understand everyone there. He had only began learning English recently, but the baby couldn’t even pronounce_ three _correctly._

_“Levi! Sois gentil, tu avais cet âge-là.” Kuchel turned back and apologized to Eren’s mother. She was glad Eren wouldn’t be able to understand what her son had said. The transition was understandably difficult for Levi, but Kuchel hoped he would grow to love it here as well. “I’m sorry about Levi. It was difficult getting him to come here with me.”_

_“No, it’s okay. Eren is a little bit of an overeager rascal.” Carla ruffled her son’s hair affectionately. “Why don’t we go over to the kitchen and let Eren and Levi get to know each other better?”_

_“Merci, oui. Yes.”_

_“So where are you moving from…” The conversation of two mothers drifted off into the kitchen, leaving their sons in the living room._

_Not knowing what to do, Levi sighed and sat down on one of the sofas after making sure there wasn’t any messes on it. At least it was comfier than it looked. This was a stupid idea. His mom could get to know the neighbors without dragging him along._

_Unfortunately, he had forgotten about the green-eyed toddler who immediately picked up one of his train sets and attempted to hand it to Levi._

_“Weebi! Weebi! Play wif me!” Eren handed his new friend one of the toy train sets he had been assembling around the coffee table. He was too young to understand that the older boy was disinterested and wanted nothing to do with him. To Eren, everyone his mommy and daddy introduced him to was either family or friends. And Levi was the first big friend who wasn’t an adult that he had ever had._

_“Merde…” Levi swore under his breath, cringing as the baby forced a slobbery toy into his hand. He really didn’t want to leave home and move here. But here he was. Stuck with a three-year-old brat who couldn’t do anything as simple as pronounce his name right._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I am in no way condoning having a relationship or sleeping with one's instructor/professor(s). This is a piece of fiction written for fun.** There are strict regulations in place to prevent such relationships and the problems that arise from them; e.g., cases where students are pressured to remain in a relationship for grades, references, etc.


	2. Chapter 2

“Itadakimasu!” Eren clapped his hands quietly together with the rest of the table. Dinner wasn’t remotely Asian, but the pre-meal formality was one of the few Japanese traditions Mikasa’s mom, Minako, had kept from her childhood. It was the equivalent of ‘guten appetit’ which his grandparents did each time he visited, but it was always more fun doing it and learning about other cultures.

Spiking one of the potato chunks, he felt the rosemary-seasoned buttery starchiness melt in his mouth. Eren could barely refrain from stabbing another piece and stuffing it into his mouth.

“Mmm… this is amazing!” He blatantly ignored the light kick Levi delivered under the table. Sometimes his boyfriend was more of a parent than lover.

“Thank you, Eren. Mikasa and Levi never say anything.” The petite Asian woman shot a disappointed glance at her daughter and nephew. Sometimes she wished they were as open as Eren was.

“That’s because it always tastes good, mom.” Mikasa muttered, savoring a juicy slice of roast beef. There wasn’t anything her mom _couldn’t_ make. “You know that.”

“But how am I supposed to know that if you don’t tell me anything?” Minako questioned her daughter. She wished Mikasa lived closer to home, so she could see her baby girl more often. It was a good month if she even saw her daughter once a month. “And I haven’t seen you in more than a month.”

The reminder of visiting home caused a small twinge of guilt in Levi’s heart. Unlike Eren or Mikasa whose parents were both alive, it was just him and his mom. It had been more than six months since he had visited. Levi had stayed behind since Eren had returned to Shiganshina for winter break. He had joined his boyfriend for a bit, staying with his aunt and uncle while over there.

“I was here for a week over the break. Besides, I had to work.” It was difficult juggling her part-time position as a physical trainer’s assistant and classes, but having practical experience was really important. Her boss had even mentioned hiring her as a full-time sport therapist once she graduated.

“I know… I’m just a little sad my little girl’s all grown up and turning twenty-two so soon.” She sniffed. Mikasa’s birthday wasn’t until the next weekend, but she had already made plans to celebrate her twenty-second birthday. As such, they were having an early private birthday party for her.

“Now, now, dear.” Paul patted his wife’s hand.

“Don’t worry, I’ll always be your little girl, mom.” The dark-haired girl smiled at her doting mom.

“Aww, honey. Thank you. That’s so sweet.”

Levi hid the small roll of his eyes at how sickly sappy the conversation was. He was relieved his own mom wasn’t here; Kuchel would have only berated him for not praising his aunt’s cooking. It certainly was tasty, but a little heavy on his stomach after what he had had for lunch. Glancing at the brat next to him, Levi raised a brow at Eren who didn’t seem to have any problem shoveling the majority of his nearly empty plate in his mouth.

“Done already, Eren?”

A rosy tint flared on his lover’s cheeks, signaling his discomfort, but Eren made no show of turning to face Levi.

“Shut up.” He muttered, staring down at his almost empty plate. Levi was probably thinking he was a pig with how fast he wolfed everything down, but it was just too good to resist. Nice, hot roast beef and potatoes cooked to perfection. Juicy and tender flavored with rosemary and garlic. And homemade dinner rolls, lightly sweet, warm, and fluffy.

“Oh, Levi, you’re better than that. Don’t tease the poor boy.” Minako berated causing her nephew to roll his eyes. “Eren, please, don’t be shy. Help yourself. There’s plenty.” She gestured at the extra roast and potatoes in the middle of the table, noticing Mikasa’s friend had completely finished his potatoes.

“Thank you.” Eren grabbed the tongs to refill his plate.

“You haven’t been starving him, have you, Levi? I thought Kuchel taught you better.”

“No. If anything, he sometimes gets too busy or forgets to eat.” Levi snorted. Eren would be existing on a diet of mac n’ cheese, cup noodles, or frozen dinners if it weren’t for his cooking. The occasional quick fix was okay, even he had the odd craving for salty, fatty goodness, but Eren really had no cooking skills whatsoever. He had almost burned down Levi’s old place once by microwaving a foil-wrapped baked potato.

“That was _one_ time, Levi!” Eren retorted hotly, before lowering his tone again. “Sorry.”

“Don’t mind us, Eren. It’s lovely seeing how cute the two of you are.”

Levi sighed at his aunt’s gushing, cutting a piece of beef and putting it in his mouth. He didn’t know what it was with all the older women in his life – his mom and aunt – taking an avid interest in his love life. Dating was not high on his list of priorities, which only made his mom more invested in knowing what went on between him and Eren. His previous dates had expressed disappointment or a lack of caring towards his desire to keep things clean, how reserved he was, or his height. But Eren was the exception. It was part of why he loved the brat, despite how giddy and childish he could be. The younger man had never lost his exuberance and curiosity through the years.

Eren found himself grinning a little at his boyfriend’s masked discomfort. It was a rare opportunity to see Levi be on the receiving end of parental affection. It had been a little weird the first time he introduced himself as Levi’s boyfriend to his parents and Levi’s family. They had treated him as their own child growing up, but dating was another thing. His fears were unfounded, however. They had taken it with good grace and a great deal of humor.

“So, Eren, how are classes?” Mikasa’s dad, Paul, asked, changing the direction of the conversation. “You must be busy getting ready for graduation.”

“They’re okay.” It was a little too early to say much. He liked his classes, but they were tough. “I had to stop working part-time to focus on my classes, but I think I think I’ll survive.” Eren had been part-timing at a café less than ten minutes from campus, but quit to free up time for his senior thesis.

“Ah, yes. I remember losing sleep juggling classes, work, and trying to get my thesis completed in time.” The older man hummed in agreement. “I heard you were taking a French class this semester. How’s that going?”

“Yes, I am…?” Glancing sideways at his boyfriend, the patent disinterest on Levi’s face gave him no hint as to what the older man was thinking. The secretive smile on Mikasa’s mouth as she calmly ate her dinner informed Eren that he was not going to get any help from that quarter either.

“Really? Carla was telling me Levi is the one teaching the class.”

 _Really mom?_ Eren should have guessed his mom would tell Mikasa’s parents. Eren hadn’t disclosed the details of his class, but he had mentioned the time and class he selected, and she must have deduced it from the courses offered. When he had first brought up needing a language class, it _had_ been her half-joking, half-serious suggestion to take French with Levi.

“I’m only in it for my language requirement, but yeah…” He answered hesitatingly, not wanting to go too far into the details.

“So how is it?”

“It’s uhh…” Eren could feel everyone’s eyes on the table, even Levi’s, staring at him. There was a knowing twinkle in Levi’s eyes and a similarly secretive smile on Mikasa’s lips. His childhood friend had heard him speak about his experiences, and Levi was _in_ the class.

“…going well?” He hedged, preparing himself for the inevitable. Even if they asked him, Levi would barely react. Better yet, he would somehow deflect and make Eren the butt end of some joke in the process.

“That’s good to hear. You’re not showing him any favoritism are you, Levi, m’boy?”

“No. Just because we’re dating doesn’t mean squat. If he wants to pass the class, he has to earn it.” Levi replied unequivocally.

“Traitor.” Eren muttered under his breath. It would have been nice if Levi treated him differently, but Eren wasn’t blind or stupid enough to expect it. While the two of them had an understanding that their private relationship would have no bearing on his performance in the class, there were definite times when he was upset by how harsh a taskmaster Levi was. If anything, Levi was actually even harder on him than some of his other classes, and it was an _intro_ class too!

“It was your choice to take my class.” Levi was unfazed. He was accustomed to similar things when they visited Eren’s parents. It wasn’t intentional, but those conversations with Eren’s parents frequently referenced stories of their shared childhood, most of which Eren had forgotten. “And remember, you were the one who came late the first day.”

“Hmph, what is this? Bully Eren day?” Eren grumbled under his breath. Levi’s words weren’t particularly nasty, but sometimes he wished Levi would be a little more affectionate and boyfriend-like. “I can’t believe you’re so mean to me…”

Levi leaned in towards his unhappy brat, squeezing Eren’s hand briefly, and whispered. “I’d stop, but you’re too cute not to tease.”

The words sent a flush up Eren’s cheeks and he quickly hung his head to hide his face. Eren was too embarrassed and Levi didn’t care to pay much attention to the excited squeal that erupted.

 

* * *

 

_“Aw, look at you, Eren! All dressed up!” Kuchel squealed at the sight of the little chestnut-haired boy dressed up. The five-year-old was wearing a white shirt with black jacket and pants. Tied around his shoulders was a long cape, black on the outside and red on the inside. “What are you supposed to be?”_

_“I’m a candy vampire!” The kid beamed, showing off a small set of fake fangs and holding out his plastic pumpkin for collecting all those yummy treats._

_“How cute…” Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a chocolate bar and handed it to the boy. “Here you go, Eren.”_

_Kuchel only wished Levi was as enthusiastic as Eren was. She had managed to persuade him to dress up and bring Carla’s son trick or treating, but he definitely hadn’t accepted happily. Levi had complained the entire week about the stupid holiday that made people wear stupid costumes. Halloween wasn’t a holiday they celebrated back in France. Instead, they had La Toussaint on November first. While they weren’t at all related, there was no school on La Toussaint, whereas school still happened both on and after Halloween in America – a fact that Levi strongly disliked._

_“Thank you, Auntie Kuchel!” Eren quickly ripped the wrapper open, running off to find his mom. “Mummy, mummy! Look what I got!”_

_“That’s sweet. Have you said thank you yet?”_

_“Yes! Can I eat it, mummy?”_

_“Hmm…” Carla hummed thoughtfully. Eren was undoubtedly going to get loads of candy and chocolate by the end of the evening. While the dentists hadn’t discovered any cavities yet, she was a little nervous about the amount of sugar he was ingesting. The preschool teachers already gave Eren some, which she was sure he ate. Carla did not want him jumping off the walls hyped up on sugar and unable to sleep, but she was also unable to resist the gummy eager smile on his face. “Sure, but that’s the last piece for the night. Okay, sweetie?”_

_“Okay.” Eren happily took a large bite of the chocolate, chewing noisily. After he was done consuming the sugary treat, he hopped away._

_“Don’t forget to wash your hands, Eren!”_

_“I know, mummy.” Eren bounded off to the bathroom, super excited for when Levi would show up and bring him trick or treating. He couldn’t wait to get loads more candy!_

_When he left the bathroom, Levi was in the living room dressed in black with a pair of wolf ears. The scowling dark expression didn’t scare the enthused Eren who only ran up to his neighbor and hugged him. “Levii! Levii! Are you a we-werewolfie?”_

_“Who knows?” He hadn’t wanted to wear the stupid-ass ears, but his mom hadn’t believed his costume was ‘Halloween-enough’ and put them on his head. It made him look ridiculous. Levi had gone to take them off, but his mom had cut him off immediately, threatening to hold his hand and go trick or treating with him if he didn’t get in the Halloween spirit._

_“You look like one!” Eren quickly ran around the larger boy, pulling up the ends of Levi’s shirt and frowned. “Levi! Levi! Where’s your tail, Leviii? Werewolfies have tails!” His mummy had showed him werewolf costumes when they went shopping, but they were all too big for him. And he liked the idea of being a candy vampire more! That way he would be able to eat as much candy as he wanted!_

_“I don’t have a fu– fricking tail.” Levi hurried corrected himself for nearly cursing. There was no way he was going to wear something as absurd as a tail. The ears were humiliating enough. Thank god, very few people from school lived in the neighborhood._

_“But werewolfies have tails…”_

_“Eren, it’s okay if Levi doesn’t have a tail.” Carla chided her child._

_“Okay…” The issue of werewolves and tails quickly forgotten, Eren suddenly remembered why Levi’s arrival was so important. They could go trick or treating now! His mummy and daddy had arranged for the two of them to go and it had been so boring waiting for Levi to arrive. “Levii! Leviii! Let’s go!”_

_Taking in a prolonged breath, Levi breathed out, calming his irritation down. “Fine. Lemme get my jacket.”_

_“Yay! Twick or tweeting! Twick or tweeting!” Eren pranced around in circles, unable to hold in his excitement._

_“Eren, you need to put on your jacket too.”_

_“But mummy!”_

_“Eren…”_

_“Okay.” He held his arms out as his mom tugged the jacket on and under his cloak._

_“C’mon brat, let’s go.” Holding his hand out, Levi felt Eren’s warm tiny one immediately grasp it. The last thing Levi wanted was the kid running half-cocked around the neighborhood. Even though it was only seven in the evening, the days were growing shorter and there was no telling how many kids would be dressed up as vampires and roaming the streets. Levi had no desire to chase blindly after some brat. Holding on securely, the two of them stepped outside of the threshold, and began their journey on a street lit with orange pumpkins and adorned with other scary creatures._

_As excited as Eren was, eager to run from house to house, he was surprisingly docile when it came to listening to Levi. It might have had something to do with the grasp he had on the boy’s hand, but they took their time going from one house to another._

_The two of them walked towards the door of another well-decorated house. It had been half an hour and each house had already long blurred together to Levi, but Eren still seemed as energetic as ever. “Levi! What candy do you think we’ll get? Chocolate?”_

_“Who knows.” Levi shrugged, pressing on the button. He didn’t care what they got. American candy was far too sweet for his tastes. The teen had already decided to give most of it away. His mom wouldn’t eat much of it, so Eren would probably end up with a ton of sugar._

_Before Eren could speak again, the door opened to reveal an older grandmother holding a large bowl of candy in her hand._

_“Twick or tweet!” Eren smiled widely, holding out his plastic pumpkin._

_“Aw, look at how cute you are. Are you a vampire?” she addressed Eren._

_“No.” Blood was gross and icky! And it was painful whenever he bled. And Eren hated pain. “I’m a candy vampire! I eat candy!”_

_“That’s so cute! Here you go, sweetie.” She grabbed a small handful and dropped it into the plastic pumpkin. “And here’s some for you too.” She repeated the motion, dropping a few brightly-colored packages into Levi’s bag. “Such a doting big brother.”_

_Levi didn’t bother correcting her about the relationship between him and Eren, merely nodding his thanks._

_“Thank you!”_

_“You’re very welcome, sweetie.”_

_“Come on, brat. Let’s go.” Levi wrapped his hand around Eren’s and ushered the kid away. They still had many houses to cover. Levi didn’t care too much, but his young charge would definitely whine if he didn’t get more candy._

_“Bye bye!” Eren grinned at the nice lady, waving frantically._

_Their pace began to visibly slow an hour later. Levi was fine, but Eren was beginning to nod off and slow down. He had permission to keep Eren out till nine, which was Eren's normal bedtime, but it seemed they were going to have to cut it short. They had already collected plenty of candy; Eren's plastic pumpkin had been emptied several times into the large pillowcase Levi carried._

_“Ready to head home, brat?” The sooner he returned home the sooner he could take off the stupid-ass ears his mom made him wear. Levi had taken them off immediately after leaving the house, but Eren had protested and threatened to tell his mom._

_“No…” Levi almost expected Eren to be on a sugar high from the candy he ate, but that didn’t seem to be the case judging from Eren’s yawning._

_“Yeah right.” Levi scoffed. “It’s late. We’re going home.” Tugging on the small hand, he guided Eren back. There was a small noise of protest, but Levi refused to allow the stubborn brat any leeway. It didn’t take too long for the candy vampire-tailless werewolf duo to reach home._


	3. Chapter 3

“Doing anything fun for Valentine’s, Eren?”

“Mmm, not really. Have an essay due tomorrow, so I didn’t really make plans.” Eren shrugged as nonchalantly as possible. He had already finished the paper, but he also wanted a legitimate excuse to skip out on any single’s day events his friends were thinking of dragging him to. That’s what had happened their second year at least.

As funny as it was watching Jean attempt to hit on chicks (and fail), Eren disliked the atmosphere. Between people who were upset about being single and those trying to hit on everything moving, it would have been time better spent with Levi instead of avoiding flirting attempts. Levi hadn’t held it against him – he was never one for romantic gestures, calling the occasion an asinine, capitalist conspiracy for fools and idiots – but Eren still felt bad forsaking his boyfriend. Especially on Valentine’s.

Coming clean about his relationship would unquestionably make life easier. But it was particularly tricky now that he was sitting in said boyfriend’s lecture. “What about you, Armin? Going on a _date_ with Annie?”

“No, we’re just going to a library to study.”

“Armin!” Eren nearly choked in shock at how boring a study date sounded. “It’s Valentine’s day! You should at least get her chocolates or something. Have you even kissed yet?” Armin had always been quiet and studious, so it was a little difficult for Eren to see his friend proactively kissing Annie on the mouth. Just holding hands with her was enough to make Armin blush.

“Yes.” A small flush rose on Armin's cheeks. “Why are you so interested in my love life?”

“Why can’t I be supportive of my best friend’s relationship?” It wasn’t as if he could openly celebrate his own relationship. Even if their relationship was publicly known, Levi wasn’t the fluffy romance type of guy and would probably smack him if Eren even tried something sweet.

“Thanks Eren.” Eren’s brain immediately fired out a warning signal when Armin’s shrewd blue eyes turned on him. “How about you? Met anyone special? It’s been a few years since you went out on a date.” When they were younger, he had mentioned Levi, but to the best of his knowledge, the two of them had never met. Eren trusted Armin to keep a secret, but they were a closely knit group and the moment one additional person found out, it became much easier for everyone to find out.

“Not really.” Eren shrugged, looking forward. He knew he had a bad habit of breaking eye contact when lying. His mom, Mikasa, and Levi were excellent at reading him. And having known Armin for such a long time, the blond mushroom definitely knew his tells. “Between classes and trying to graduate, when do I have time to find someone?”

“Weren’t you seeing someone in freshman year though?”

“What are you talking about?” Eren rapidly quelled the panic rising through him, thinking back to his first year in college. He had shared an apartment with Armin, which made studying easy, but communicating with Levi difficult. His phone was always password protected and Eren had made sure never to mention Levi to anyone or when anyone was around.

“I seem to recall you going out most weekends to see someone…?” Armin prompted.

“I thought I told you…” Eren quieted his beating heart, relieved that his best friend hadn’t caught him in anything incriminating. “…my parents wanted me to go back home.” It was partially true. His parents were insistent on him going home whenever possible back then. Those visits only accounted for a quarter of his weekend disappearances though. “It’s only an hour or so on the train.”

“Hmm…” There was a hum from his friend. Satisfied that Armin had quieted down and appeared mollified by his excuse, Eren discreetly patted his bag to make sure his gift was safe and still there.

 

“Professor Ackerman?”

Sighing, Levi pushed away from the computer. He loathed having office hours, but it was part of the job. All too frequently, he was barraged with stupid questions and requests, such as the common ‘will this be on the exam?’ or ‘why did I get marks taken off here?’ He had debated whether to make his office hours ‘by appointment only,’ but that would only lead to an unending stream of emails. Teaching three classes this semester already meant triple the amount of emails and stupidity, and Levi did not want to add to it.

“Come in.” The door opened wider to reveal a familiar face. As enjoyable as it was seeing those bright eyes, Levi knew from the impish grin that Eren was up to no good. “What do you want, Jaeger?”

“Umm…” Rummaging in his bag, Eren’s hands found purchase on the slim wrapped package. Eren knew he could give it to Levi back in the apartment, but it wouldn’t have the same impact then. Plus, no one could ever fault him for being impatient on Valentine’s.

“Here,” he held out the wrapped container. “This is for you.”

He bought chocolates last year, but this year was different. Levi was not one for sweet things, so he had made dark chocolate and red wine truffles, not knowing how badly cocoa seemed to stain everywhere. Eren had spent the night at Mikasa’s apartment, where they had spent the entire evening in the kitchen melting, shaping, and forming chocolate till he could no longer smell the scent anymore. His skills might not come close to Levi’s or Mikasa’s, but the truffles tasted and looked good.

It was nothing like his first attempt, several years ago, which ended disastrously with the smoke alarm going off because he somehow caught the chocolate on fire, burnt three pots, and melted several pieces of plastic kitchenware. His mom had banned him from doing anything unsupervised in her kitchen since.

“And this is…?” Levi began, knowing full well what the non-descript box adorned with a golden ribbon was. Hange had been bugging the shit out of him the last few days about Valentine’s and there was no way it was a coincidence that Eren had come into his office on the same accursed holiday.

Call him aromantic or a pragmatist, but what the fuck was the point of celebrating his relationship on the same day every-fucking-one else on the planet did? Granted, there were only about three hundred and sixty or so unique days in the calendar, meaning that there would be several couples celebrating something each day, but Levi didn’t get the point of celebrating with the entire god damn universe. If he was going to commemorate what he shared with Eren, he would do it on his own terms on a day that meant something to the both of them. Besides, they were still on campus, in his fucking _office_ of all places. The door was wide open and if anyone caught him accepting Valentine’s chocolates from a student, they’d both be royally fucked.

“Well… I got you some chocolates I thought you might like.” Eren wanted to openly declare his love for his boyfriend, but they had agreed on no personal contact beyond necessary around campus. He was already skirting the rules by visiting to deliver chocolates. The stern disapproval on Levi’s face only made it that much harder to justify _why_ he was giving such a thing to one of his instructors.

“And do you give this to all your professors?” Levi cocked an eyebrow and watched the brat squirm.

“No…”

“Then…?”

 _Because I love you!_ Eren wanted to tear his hair out and yell. “Nothing…” He muttered instead. Sometimes he hated how unaffected Levi was by everything. The blasted man was just sitting there, unruffled and composed.

“Well I can’t, in good faith, accept such a gift from a current student of mine.” Levi crossed his arms in censure. He would have accepted it in the privacy of their apartment, but this was different. The vultures in the department and around campus were always looking for a scoop. It wasn’t as bad as Pixis had allowed it, but it wouldn’t be a pretty sight if knowledge of their relationship leaked. Levi would much rather not burn the bridges and friendships he had formed while teaching. A tenure-track position at the school was only one of the few jobs Levi considered, but the contacts he made were invaluable no matter where he ended up.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he stared straight at Eren’s forehead. Looking into those deep pools of green would only make it harder to refuse. The sentiment was nice, but _someone_ had to be the mature one between the two of them. As much as Levi hated raining on Eren’s happiness, Eren was too idealistic to think he could get away with it.

Eren’s actions hadn’t technically stepped outside of the line yet, but this was edging too close for comfort. If someone popped by and caught them, Levi could write it off as the folly of youth, but it would be a different story if he accepted it.

“Okay…” Glumly shoving the box back into his bag, Eren turned and left. One of the students waiting in the hall shot him a puzzled glance as he left the office. Anyone who saw him could easily tell that whatever went down had left him upset.

Walking towards the building exit, he felt a small buzz from his pocket. Fishing out his phone, he quickly unlocked it and beamed at the message.

 

“Psst… Eren, do you think that’s a hickey on Professor Ackerman’s neck?” Sasha whispered. The professor’s sense of style was a little strange, with the cravat and black colors which resembled those for mourning. But what stood out to her was the tiny purplish bruise on the left side of his neck, mostly covered by the high collar.

“Where?”

“Left side of his neck. Near the collar.”

Urgently following his friend’s directions, Eren scanned Levi’s neck for any sign of last night’s activities. He barely caught sight of it, but the edge of the reddish-purple mark was pretty noticeable on Levi's pale skin. Crap, Levi was going to be _pissed_.

The last time Levi had been caught with a visible hickey had been two years back over Thanksgiving. They had made out a little before Levi drove him and Mikasa over to Shiganshina to celebrate the holidays. Suffice it to say, his mom had mercilessly teased him, Levi was peeved, and Eren found out the hard way what it was like when his boyfriend exacted revenge.

“Someone had a fun night,” Connie chimed merrily.

It took all of Eren’s willpower not to flush and turn red at the reminder. As an apology for the chocolate fiasco, Levi had agreed to grant any one wish he had, which had inadvertently led to a messy mix of good and other _fun_ things. They had taken turns topping, but Eren hadn’t realized how heated things had gotten until he noticed the hickey. They normally made a point to avoid leaving marks in places that could be seen.

A dark glare was shot in their direction – Eren blanched, knowing Levi would exact retribution later – and not a minute later, class began.

 

* * *

 

_“Lebii! Lebii! Look my toof!”_

_“That’s disgusting.” Levi scowled at Eren whose eyes shone with excitement as he proudly held out his baby tooth. There was no way he was going to touch the disgusting thing. There was no telling how many germs were on it. The only reason he had begrudgingly come with his mom to visit Carla and Eren was because his mom didn’t trust him to stay at home by himself. And because it was either that or being dropped off at Kenny’s, which he liked even less._

_“Do you fink the toof fairy will come?”_

_“Eren, the tooth fairy doesn’t exist.” Much of his French accent had faded, but there were a few words in which it was audible. Levi had quickly learned that being the new kid from out of town was a good reason to be picked on, and did his best to blend in. He still used his native tongue with his mom, but she also encouraged him to speak English at home._

_“Bu-but… mommy says the toof fairy will come if I put my toof under the pillow!” Eren couldn’t wait until nighttime. He didn’t know how much the tooth fairy would give him for it, but it_ was _his first baby tooth! Maybe a quarter? He could use it to buy lots more candy!_

_“I’ve lost more teeth than you, Eren, and I’ve never seen the tooth fairy.”_

_“Bu-but… m-mommy…!” Eren’s face fell at the thought that the tooth fairy wasn’t real. That couldn’t be true. His mommy had told him the tooth fairy was real and would visit him tonight if he was a good boy._

_“Tch, I don’t know what your mom told you, but the tooth fairy doesn’t exist.” Levi frowned at Eren’s insistence that a thing as stupid as the tooth fairy was real._

“ _M-mommy…!”_

_Carla rushed in with a look of concern on her face. Eren immediately rushed into his mother’s embrace, trying his best not to cry. “Oh honey, what’s wrong? There, there, don’t cry.” She rubbed his back comfortingly._

_“Lebii says the toof fairy isn’t real…” He sniffed, feeling safe and warm in his mom’s embrace._

_“Levi!” Levi looked up at the sound of his name being called out by his own mother. Huffing, he rolled his eyes in rebellion. He knew what was going to happen. It was always the case whenever he did or said something that upset the kid. “How could you say something like that to Eren? He’s only five.”_

_“Whatever, maman.” For some reason_ everyone _coddled Eren, even his own mother, and blamed everything on him. How was it his fault for telling the stupid kid the truth? It wasn’t as though Levi_ wanted _to be here and ‘play’ with the stupid bright-eyed brat anyways._

_“Don’t give me that attitude, Levi.”_

_“Tch, he’s going to find out one day that the tooth fairy, Easter bunny, Santa and all those other things are all fake one way or another.” Levi muttered, not expecting Eren to overhear him. Believing in fairies was a little much for Eren’s age._

_“Levi!” He rolled his eyes again, crossing his arms mutinously, as his mother turned to apologize. “I’m so sorry, Carla. I didn’t know my son would–”_

_“Mommy…” Eren cut in loudly, shocked that Levi had mentioned his favorite Christmas character was also fake. But wasn’t that Santa whose lap he had sat on just a few weeks ago? And didn’t Santa leave him gifts at Christmas? And what about the cookies and milk he had left out?_

 _“S-Santa’s not weal?” The toddler’s watery, tear-stricken eyes turned to his mother and then Levi._

_Before she could say anything, Levi beat Carla Jaeger to the punch. “Yeah, sucks to hear it, but none of them are real.”_

_“But whab’out the pwesents and cookies and milk?”_

_God, what was with the kid? Levi groaned internally. Eren was supposed to be_ five _, not a fanciful three-year-old who believed in all the fantasies his parents spun._

_“Your dad must have eaten them or something.” Levi shrugged. He didn’t get why Eren’s parents went all the way to celebrate and indulge him with fictional untruths. The kid would end up finding out eventually anyways._

_“Bu-but…” Eren blubbered._

_“C’est assez jeune homme_ , _allons à la maison.” Kuchel waited for Levi to stand up so they could leave. She couldn’t believe how petty and mean her son was becoming. It was true that Levi wasn’t lying when he said any of it, but to do that to a five-year-old! Turning, back to Carla and Eren, she apologized on her wayward son’s behalf. “I’m so sorry, Carla. I thought they were getting along better.”_

_Over the last two years, it seemed like Levi had slowly been getting along better with Eren. At least Levi hadn’t complained much and there hadn’t been any major incidents either._

_“No, it’s okay. He’s probably just at a difficult age.” Carla rubbed Eren’s back. He didn’t cry often and when he did, it wouldn’t be for a long time. It was probably just the shock that finding out Santa and the tooth fairy weren’t real that had him sobbing._

_“I know. Levi was like that when he was his age too.” Kuchel chuckled to herself. Levi would be turning thirteen at the end of the year and starting middle school soon. Adjusting to a new life here had been difficult, but they were adapting. There were still a couple of things, such as Levi’s attitude, to work out, but Kuchel didn’t think that was due to the move; that was most likely Levi. Stealing a glance at her son, she found Levi standing by the doorway looking peeved. “Well, I have to go now, I’ll see you soon?”_

_“Of course. And Levi’s always welcome too.” Carla smiled at the teenager, still holding her distraught son._

_Eren had yet to start kindergarten – he would be entering soon though – and the more social interactions he had, even with children older than he was, the better. Although what Levi had said had upset her baby boy, she and Grisha had only continued propagating those stories because Eren_ had _believed in them. It was a little heartbreaking to see his beliefs crumble, but it was better that it had been done at home rather than Eren being picked on at school for it._

_“Thank you.” Kuchel smiled gratefully before beckoning to her adolescent son. “Viens, Levi.”_

_Walking back the short distance, she wondered what Levi thought of Eren. It was a little worrying that he hadn’t made any new friends yet, and Eren was the only person she knew that Levi spent time with, willingness aside, who was not an adult. Levi’s teachers all said he was well-behaved, if not quiet, and didn’t interact much with others. She didn’t know whether to be worried or not. There were a few neighborhood kids he had played with back in France, but even then, Levi had never been the most outgoing child._

_Kuchel hoped that Levi would gradually open up to the ever-smiling and optimistic five-year-old in the same way Carla’s boy had become attached to him. It did seem to be working – Levi didn’t complain anymore when they went over to the Jaegers or when Eren attempted to engage with him – though there were still some off-days, such as this one. Things would be better the next time she hoped._


	4. Chapter 4

Heaving his backpack over his shoulders, Eren quickly made his way towards Rose Café. Meeting friends was about as close to fun as he had these days. With exams and papers piling up, it was a wonder how he even had time to do anything. The engineering student doubted he would even have much of a spring break at this rate.

“So how was class with midget dick?” Jean taunted as Eren joined them. He had already heard from Sasha and Connie that the class was turning out more difficult than an intro language course should be.

“What the fuck, dude.” Eren swore, dropping his bag down on the seat. Even though Jean didn’t know the truth, it didn’t stop irritation from leaking out at the insult. Levi might have been short, but it was misconception to think the same applied elsewhere. As far as Eren could tell, it was well within average length and slightly thicker than normal. Besides, size really didn’t matter since sex with Levi was amazing. “You mean you’ve seen his dick?”

“Eww, gross. Hell no!” Jean flinched, pulling his body away from the table at the thought of another man’s dick. “I was just saying, y’know how he’s so short?” Mikasa dipped her head a little; even though she was related to him, Levi _was_ short. “I bet his dick is just as tiny.”

“Jean! Don’t talk about that in front of Krista!” Ymir shot back, horrified that Jean would say such a thing in front of her girlfriend.

“I’m sorry, but come on. Can he even satisfy anyone?”

 _Yes, he can and he does so very well._ Eren thought to himself moodily. His hips were still a little sore from Saturday. As thrilling as it was hiding an illicit relationship, it was during such times that he wished he could publicly announce his relationship with Levi and defend his boyfriend.

“Who cares? I’ll bet he’s not a virgin like somebody is.” Ymir chuckled as Jean visibly flushed with anger. “He _is_ French after all…” She added with a small waggle of her eyebrows which irritated Jean even more. It was a well-known fact that none of Jean’s relationships had lasted more than two months.

“Go to hell, Ymir.”

“Jean,” Marco stepped in, before their conversation could get rowdier, playing the voice of reason. “I don’t think it’s any of our business to gossip about our professors’ love lives. You don’t even know Professor Ackerman.”

“Fine, but I’m just saying…”

“No one cares what you’re saying, horseface.” Eren took the opportunity to shoot back.

“Shut up, Jaeger. It’s not like you’ve ever gone out with anyone.”

“Oh yeah, how do you know?” He knew he had to tread carefully, but Jean just irritated him to no end sometimes. Mikasa was the only person present who knew, and she had no reason to out him. If anything, she was also keen on keeping her relationship to Levi on the down low.

“You kidding? Who’d want to date a suicidal bastard like you?”

“Who’d want to date a horse?” He threw back.

That was how Armin found them once more, Eren and Jean bickering back and forth with no tangible end in sight.

 

“Levi! Over here!”

Levi held back a groan as he walked towards his overexcited friend. He had met Hange when he first entered T.U., in French class no less, and she had stuck with him ever since.

“How is everything going, grumpy?”

“Fine. Just a bunch of whiny brats.”

“You’re not giving them another exam after the break are you?”

“They only _have_ two exams, Hange.” Most of the classes he had taken as a student had involved three or four exams spaced evenly through the semester. They were each worth a good fifteen, twenty percent of the final grade too. In contrast, having only one midterm and one final was much less stressful. Hell, they were basically the same things as the worksheets and assignments, only longer and more comprehensive. There wasn’t enough time to perform a verbal assessment, which was one of the essential skills when learning a language. All said, the classes were _much_ easier and covered substantially less content than Levi would have liked. Even the advanced class barely touched on the intricacies of the French language. “Fucking spoiled brats.”

“Aw, I wish I had my own class to teach.” Hange whined, nibbling on a chip she magically pulled from her pocket. Levi grimaced at the sight; there was no telling what else had been in the pocket or how long it had been there.

“Tch, it’s not my fault you chose to do a dual PhD.”

“True.” Hange immediately perked up at the reminder of research, the thought of another two years not bothering her so much anymore. Running experiments on rodents and working with chemicals was _way_ more fun than teaching kids. Her supervisor was pretty hands-off, so she could basically do any experiment she wanted. “So how is your love life doing? Seeing anyone special?”

“No.”

“Really? Who was the cutie pie I saw you with two weeks ago? He had the largest pair of green eyes I have ever seen!” Hange latched onto Levi’s arm and shook like a madwoman. He had always been secretive and stoic, but he had been increasingly closemouthed about anything relating to love, romance, or dating in the last couple of years. Hange had known him for nearly a decade and could still recall Levi flirting with or showing some interest in people whenever they visited a bar or hung out. There was none of that now. It made her suspicious, particularly after chancing upon Levi walking closely side by side with someone on the street.

“You’re delusional. No such thing happened.” Levi replied adamantly. _If_ Hange caught wind of his relationship, he would never hear the end of it. He could envision her pounding on their door at the ass crack of dawn to try and meet Eren. It was fortuitous their relationship had been kept under wraps for so long, but Hange was a loose cannon. She would dig and dig until the truth was revealed. Even the threat of death was often not enough to keep her silent.

“Hmm, I could have sworn the two of you were walking and talking to each other.”

“When have you seen me walk and talk on the street with some green-eyed brat before?” He countered. The fact that the crazy scientist had even seen him walking with someone that matched Eren’s description was already unusual. Hange preferred to stay in the lab as much as possible and Levi was always careful not to act out of place somewhere their acquaintances might frequent. “You sure you weren’t high from all those nasty chemicals you work with?”

“Maybe…” Hange hummed thoughtfully. It was true she had been utterly exhausted when it happened, having been stuck in the lab since the beginning of the week, and could have mistaken what she saw. Plus, it had happened in the evening, so her subpar vision was worsened further. She had only caught sight of the cutie pie’s eyes since they were shining like emeralds, catching and reflecting the light from the street lamps.

But still… Levi had been acting differently in the last couple of months, if not years, insofar as relationships were concerned.

“Oi, what did you want to talk about?” Levi’s question startled Hange out of her thoughts and her disappointment was quickly replaced by a recent memory.

“Oh, right! Guess what?”

“What?” He barked, knowing it was no good when Hange began asking him questions like that. It was a wonder Moblit could stand dating her.

Pulling out his lunchbox, Levi resigned himself to another noisy lunch break. He really didn’t want to know, but it was either acquiesce and go along with his crazy friend or try and shut her up but hear about it anyways. The former was just less work.

“So, after I finished my experiments on poor Sonny and Bean yesterday.” He put the sandwich back down, scowled at the reminder of Hange’s pet rats that were subject to some of the weirdest things on the planet. She had dragged him to the lab reeking of formaldehyde and other substances before and he never wanted to go back into there again. “I went out to grab a coffee and saw these assholes hitting on and teasing these two poor girls.”

“Fuckers…” Levi muttered under his breath, knowing full well how it was to be bullied. He had experienced quite a bit when he was younger, but people quickly knew not to fuck with him after they had their asses handed to them.

“Those poor things! No one else was stopping them so I went up to them, took out one of the vials I always carry around with me, and told them to stop or I’d make them gay. Of course they didn’t believe me, so I start summarizing research on how the most homophobic, conservative guys are actually aroused by gay porn. I even told them to have an orgy amongst themselves! But before I could even finish asking if they wanted to come into the lab, so I could prove it to them by hooking them up to some machines, they were gone.” The tone at the end was rather dour as Hange mourned the loss of an interesting research opportunity.

“Hange, you crazy menace.” Levi shook his head affectionately as she laughed loudly, attracting the attention of everyone in the quad. There was a reason he considered Hange, despite her crazy streak and energy, a friend.

 

* * *

 

_“Oi, Eren. I’m here to pick you up.”_

_“Leviii!” Eren rushed excitedly towards Levi. His mommy had told him that Levi was going to pick him up from school and babysit him today since mommy and daddy were busy. Eren loved it when Levi babysat him. He got to go to the park, watch TV, and play all sorts of games!_

_“Look, look! I got a gold star on my test today!” He held out the spelling test earning an affectionate pat on the head in the process. “Can we marry now?”_

_“Tch, it’s been a day, brat.” Eren had been asking him the question for_ weeks _and Levi finally caved yesterday, hoping it would stop the questioning. It didn’t work. Eren had completed ignored the meaning of his answer about growing up first. One day wasn't nearly the same thing as being ‘older.’_

_“Okay… can we go to the park then?”_

_“Sure, whatever you want, brat.” Truth be told, Levi also felt like he needed a break from being indoors. He had some exams coming up, and although he was generally on top of things, studying was still a pain in the ass._

_“Yay!” The eager brat rushed in the direction of the park._

_“Oi, slow down, Eren!” There was a mutinous pout, but Eren slowed down. Levi caught up in a few steps, cringing a little as he grabbed a hold of Eren’s hand as they resumed their walk towards the park._

_It wasn’t his first time babysitting. Eren’s parents worked late two to four times a week, and it had become something of a routine. Taking care of a six-year-old brat wasn’t something Levi enjoyed, but it was easy money. He didn’t need to worry about finding a job, commuting, or dealing with shitty coworkers and bosses. He could also get his studying done, so it wasn’t like he lost any time in the process. He lived next door and Eren was easy to manage._

_Most of the time, his duties involved fetching Eren from kindergarten, (re)heating dinner, and making sure Eren didn’t accidentally hurt himself. Generally, all he did was pick the brat up, bring him to the park for thirty minutes to an hour, then back home and switch on the TV. Eren was pretty hooked on basically anything at this point that involved talking animals or robots. Eren’s parents would often be home around dinner, so he rarely had to stay that late. But if they weren’t back by then, he’d simply nuke up whatever Carla had left for them. Outside of some brief supervision (mostly at the park), Levi did whatever he wanted._

_“Can we get chocolate ice cream, Levi?”_

_“No.” Levi scowled. There was a limit to his agreeableness. Eren was already too addicted to ice cream and being extra demanding today. “You asked to come to the park and we’re almost there. Why don’t you go play with the other kids first?”_

_“Please…” Eren grabbed the edge of Levi’s shirt and tugged._

_“No. And stop tugging on my shirt.”_

_“But Levi… mommy said I could have some! And you promised me!”_

_“Eren, your mom said that you could have some_ after _dinner. It’s only three-thirty and we’re almost at the park.”_

_“But Leviii…” Dinner didn’t taste nearly as good as ice cream. Levi always made him eat the icky green stuff. Ice cream was good. It was cold, sweet, and yummy!_

_Before they could go any further, a mocking cry rang out. “Hey guys, look its Levi!”_

_Levi scowled at the sight of the freckled redhead and the small band of shitheads following behind jeering at him. The ringleader of the group, Jason, was a bully through and through. The idiot had tried to make his life at school difficult by pulling pranks and catcalling, but it had ending after Levi had broken the guy’s nose. Jason was an idiot for thinking that the small posse could save him. “How cute, short Leeee-viii has a brother!”_

_“Keep Eren out of this.” He stepped in front, holding an arm out to keep Eren away from all of it. Dealing with them was easy – he was a brown belt, soon to be black, in karate – but Eren was a problem. Levi couldn’t ensure his safety with so many people surrounding them._

_Naturally the stubborn shit didn’t understand what was going on and poked his head out. “Levi…? Why are those people laughing at us?”_

_“Aw, look. He’s trying to protect the little runt!”_

_“I’m not a runt! I’m six!” Eren ran in front, frowning at the bad people making fun of Levi. “And leave Levi alone!”_

_Of course, the mocking laughs only grew worse._

_Levi grabbed Eren by the arm before he could do anything more reckless and endanger himself. “Eren, everything’ll be okay.”_

_“But they –”_

_“Eren. You trust me right?” There was a small nod. “Good. You see those trees over there? Go wait over there with my bag while I take care of things.” Levi slipped his backpack off and handed it to Eren who immediately wrapped his short arms around it, guarding it like a treasure._

_“But Levi…” Worried green eyes stared back at him._

_“I’ll be fine, brat.”_

_“Promise?” Eren held his pinky out. He didn’t want to see Levi get hurt._

_“Yeah,” The dark-haired teen let out a small smile, ruffling Eren’s hair as he pinky-promised. “Now get over there, Eren.” After making sure the boy had gone far enough, he turned back to the group of bullies, cracking his knuckles as he did so. “So, which one of you bastards wants to die first?”_

_A cry rang out behind him and he immediately turned around. From his vantage point, Eren was amazed at what was happening. Levi was like a superhero taking down all those bullies! Wanting a better look, he jogged back towards the sidewalk where the action was happening._

_“Go Levi!” Eren screamed in delight, watching as he took down bully after bully like it was easy. Suddenly one of the bad people got behind Levi and was going to hit Levi on the head. Unwilling to see Levi get hurt, he ran towards the man as if possessed by a demon, screaming. “Leave Levi alone, you bully!”_

_Hearing Eren’s cry, Levi immediately pivoted and dodged the attack. Damn it, didn’t the stupid brat ever follow instructions?_

_“Stay away, Eren!”_

_Levi ducked, barely missing being clocked in the skull. Kicking his legs out, another of them fell to the ground. He was getting a little tired and the gang was a little more skilled than he had anticipated. There was going to be a large bruise forming on his shoulder, but as long as no one else joined or nothing else happened, he would be fine._

_The scream, unfortunately, had attracted Jason’s attention and the redhead veered away from attacking him to target Eren instead._

_“Levi, help!” Eren struggled as the bad person grabbed him. “Let go of me, you bully!”_

_“Shit!” Foregoing the pleasure of pummeling one of the bastards’ face into mush, Levi dropped the guy and rushed towards Eren. “Let go of him, asshole.” He growled at the sight of Eren being used as a body shield._

_“Why should I?”_

_“Hiding behind a six-year-old, what a wimp.” He spat out, goading the brainless idiot. The rest of the group had either fled or was on the ground writhing in pain. “Wonder what’ll happen when I tell everyone at school about how pathetic you are.”_

_“I’m not a wimp!”_

_“Oh yeah, then why are you hiding behind a kid,_ wimp _.” Levi curled his hand into a come-hither motion. “C’mon, let’s have a one-on-one. Just you ‘n me.”_

_“Fine, I’m going to enjoy kicking your ass.” Jason dropped Eren on the ground, shoving him off to the grassy patch._

_Eren quickly recovered and rushed over to Levi’s side. “Le–”_

_“I told you to wait over there, Eren.” Levi quickly cut him off, pointing near the trees. “Now go.” After one more worried glance, Eren dashed off once more._

_Turning back, Levi barely managed to sidestep the incoming blow. Although Levi beat him before, Jason was no pushover. His opponent was the epitome of a bull in human form. Fast, stupid, and could shrug off hits easily. The asshole was almost a foot taller than he was – not a difficult feat since Levi was barely five-feet – and solidly built. The lack of brains was one thing, but his perverse size made it more difficult to take him down._

_Using the momentum from his dodge, he rained blows on his larger opponent, who grunted in pain, but didn’t back down. Ducking below another punch, Levi tried to sideswipe and trip the asshole, but the guy was too fucking heavy and his shins felt like they had come in contact with a steel rod. Jason took the opportunity to clock him in the chest and Levi staggered backwards. There was a sound of dismay from Eren’s direction but he ignored it, retaliating with a roundhouse kick to his opponent’s side. Before the man had time to right his balance, Levi smashed his knee in his groin and followed it by kneeing the bastard in the face. This time, he fell to his knees groaning._

_Grabbing the bastard’s greasy hair, Levi leveled his most menacing glare at his defeated opponent. “Had enough yet?”_

_“Fuck you.” Levi grimaced as a glob of spit landed on his face._

_Shoving the bigger boy to the ground, Levi ground his heel on his neck, choking him. “I dare you to do that one more time.” Only a raspy gasp came out this time. “If I see your ugly face again or if you try to do something to Eren, I might do something more permanently to your balls.” Levi smiled sadistically as those beady eyes widened, hands clutched protectively over his groin. “Got it?”_

_The bully nodded._

_“Now fuck off.” Delivering one last kick to his opponent’s chest, he watched as Jason gathered his friends and fled._

_“You can come out now, Eren.”_

_The green-eyed kid came rushing back, clutching his bag protectively. “Levi! Levi! Are you okay?”_

_“Yeah, I’m fine.” He said, feeling a new bruise forming on his ribs and another one on his shin. They weren’t the worst injuries Levi had gotten from a fight, but they would still need to be iced._

_“You were so cool! Like a superhero!” Eren had never seen anyone fight as good as Levi. Even though Levi was shorter than his enemies, he had taken them all down! The last bully had hit Levi, but Levi had still won! “I wanna marry you!”_

_“Tch, what are you, a freaking princess?” Levi rolled his eyes at the kid._

_“No! When I grow up, I’ll protect you from the bullies!” He beamed up at the older boy. After Eren grew up, he was going to protect Levi from all the big bad bullies! And they could eat ice cream everyday too!_

_“Whatever you say, brat.” Levi chuckled at the brat’s enthusiasm, doubtful that Eren could even distinguish between like and love. Six-year-olds were known to live in their own mental fantasies._

_“So, when will you marry me, Levi?”_

_“You’re too young to get married.” He replied easily as he dusted Eren and himself off. Besides, while homosexual marriages were no longer illegal, not everyone approved. There was still a lot of negativity pointed towards same sex couples, particularly in certain states and backwater towns. Thankfully Shiganshina wasn’t like that. In the last couple of weeks, Levi had realized that he spent more time fantasizing about men than women, and was likely bi or gay. Though he understood the implications of being something other than heterosexual, Eren wouldn’t fully understand for several years to come._

_“But Levi you said ye–!”_

_“Why don’t we skip the park and get some ice cream instead?” Levi quickly cut the rambunctious kid off._

_“Really?” He nodded, glad to have changed Eren’s focus of attention. Plus, the sooner they got back, the sooner he could hop in the shower and wash off the sweat from the fight. “ICE CREAM!!!”_

_Wincing at the shriek, Levi shook his head in fond exasperation as Eren rushed down the sidewalk. “C’mon Levi! Hurry up! Ice cream!”_

_“I’m so sorry I’m late! There was a traffic jam on the freeway.”_

_“No problem, Mrs. Jaeger.” Levi nodded as Eren’s mother came in, gathering up his things and making his way to the front door, preparing to leave. “He’s at the kitchen table drawing.”_

_“Thank you for staying late and watching over him! How was he today?”_

_“The usual.” The teen bent down to tug his shoes on, purposely, neglecting to mention the small hiccup with the bullies. If Carla Jaeger knew, then his mom would know. And he’d get in trouble when she found out. It was one of the downsides to being the only child of a single, overprotective mother. “We went for some ice cream after school.”_

_“You spoil him too much. I’ll pay you back the money for ice cream.” Carla smiled apologetically, knowing that Eren had likely pestered Levi again until he gave in._

_“K.” Levi nodded. He wasn’t worried about chasing down the money. The Jaegers were extremely generous whenever they paid him. “Well, Eren’s fine. And I need to head home to study.” And to shower and change._

_“Oh! I’m so sorry! You should have told me sooner. I’ll try to be back earlier tomorrow.”_

_“It’s no biggie.” He had already reviewed yesterday, and all he needed to do today was go over some notes. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”_

_There was a curt wave as Levi departed, making his way off the porch._

_Closing the door, Carla hurriedly hung up her coat and put away her shoes and bag, heading for the kitchen where Eren had his head bent over furiously scribbling something. Peeking over his shoulder, not wanting to disrupt her son’s endeavors, she caught sight of some messy humanoid scribbles in different colors. Eren wasn’t the most artistic child, but if he was happy, she was happy._

_“How was your day, sweetie?” She pecked lightly at his head before heading to the fridge._

_“Good. Mommy, mommy, guess what happened today!”_

_“What?” Tying her hair back to prepare dinner, Carla chuckled as Eren swung his feet excitedly on the seat. He no doubt had some great story to tell her. Eren was an excitable child and loved retelling stories about what happened whenever Levi was over. She was amazed at how attached to Levi Eren had become. If not for the physical differences, they could easily pass as brothers._

_“There were these bullies and then–”_

_“Are you okay? Are either of you hurt?” She interrupted, rushing over and holding Eren’s face in her hands to examine him. Levi hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort, so she had assumed everything was okay. But she needed to know about this was the kind of thing._

_“I’m fine, mommy. Levi saved me! And then we had ice cream!” Eren squirmed to escape from his mommy’s embrace. All he wanted to do was tell her how Levi had beat the bullies up. “I’m going to marry him when I grow up!”_

_“Are you now…?” When Eren had mentioned he was going to marry someone a few days prior, she had expected it would be one of his classmates. Her baby boy said it was a secret and hadn’t mentioned anything until now. Glancing at the sheet of paper, she could make out what looked to be a tree and a person on the page. “Are you drawing what happened today?”_

_“Yup! I really like Levi! He’s like a superhero…” Ruffling his hair, Carla smiled at how enthusiastic Eren was as he grabbed another crayon and began scribbling. It was a sweet thought for Eren to have his first little crush. He would likely grow out of it in a few months, but it was adorable._

_Eren then proceeded to retell with childish enthusiasm, outrageous sound effects, and great exaggeration the entire sequence of events from his point of view._


	5. Chapter 5

“What do they look like?” Peering at the throng of bodies waiting at the arrivals level, Eren wished Levi had a more recent photo of his friends. The one he had shown Eren had to be a couple of years old at least. He knew what they looked like having seen them over Skype, but the brunet couldn’t help worry. His stomach fluttered with nervousness and excitement at the prospect of meeting Isabel and Farlan. He had heard plenty about Levi’s middle and high school friends.

“Izzy has red hair. Farlan is blond.” The brusque descriptions were the same as not having any. Their hair color could easily been learned from the photos he saw. There were a few inferences Eren made from Levi’s stories, but he had only gotten a few clipped sentences describing them directly. From what he could tell, Isabel was fairly similar to him. Energetic, stubborn, and full of boundless optimism. Farlan, on the other hand, was more subdued, and an all-round smart ass. It reminded Eren of Mikasa, Armin, and himself in some ways.

Eren grew increasingly nervous watching the thick stream of people rush out to meet their loved ones. Levi told him not to worry, but Eren couldn’t help it. These were the people who had shaped and stood by Levi through middle and high school, and he didn’t want to screw up his first impression. What if they didn’t like him? What if they didn’t get along? They seemed to like him when they had chatted on Skype, finalizing details about the trip, but that was a tightly controlled environment. Things could easily change when they met in person.

“Levi! There are dozens of people who fit that description!” Heads turned as Eren’s exclamation carried loudly above the cacophonic din of people chatting. “What if they get lost?”

“Stop yelling, brat.” Levi groaned at Eren’s groundless fears. He would have left Eren behind, but he insisted on coming with him to pick up Farlan and Izzy.

“Sorry.” A faint blush stained those bronze cheeks.

“Tch, just don’t be so loud.” Farlan and Isabel had definitely arrived – they had texted him the moment the plane landed – but being short made it difficult for Levi to spot them.

The two of them had moved to the other side of the country, and the last time Levi had met up with them had been more than two years ago. They had been planning to meet up for several months, but things were complicated with their conflicting schedules. When he hadn’t been busy working on his dissertation, Farlan or Isabel would be unable to take time off. And when they were busy, he found himself balls deep in teaching.

“Big bro!” A familiar feminine voice screamed. Levi barely had time to react before Isabel hurled herself at him. “It’s been forever.” He had forgotten how energetic she was; even trumping Eren in that regard.

“Hey Iz.” He awkwardly returned her hug.

“Umm… hi.” Eren made a tiny wave, recognizing the two faces he had Skyped with before.

“Oh and you must be Eren!” Isabel turned towards the cute brunet standing next Levi. She had seen a few pictures of him and on a screen, but they didn’t do him justice. She could easily see why Levi had agreed to date him in the first place. Eren was most definitely her big ‘brother’s’ type. “Levi talks about you all the time!”

“Farlan, calm your girlfriend down, won’t you?” Levi scowled at how assertive Isabel was, forcing herself into Eren’s face.

“Sorry, she’s just been excited. We haven’t seen you in two years.” Farlan smiled wryly, clapping his best friend on the back. The two males exchanged knowing glances, understanding full well how rowdy Isabel could get as a familiar barrage of questions were heard.

“Tch, you guys were the ones who moved to California.”

“How could I refuse such a job offer though?”

Levi shrugged. It sucked that Farlan was a three-hour flight away, but the software developer position was perfect for him. “How is it there?”

“Great. A few long days here and there, but most days it’s nine to five-ish or whenever I feel like leaving. Everyone’s crazy brilliant, but they don’t hold it against you if you need help. They’re all super friendly and we hang out after work all the time. My boss is super chill too. He gets beer for us every Friday.”

“Damn, sounds nice.” Levi hummed in appreciation. If only the department head would do the same and give them free booze; Pixis definitely had a few bottles hidden in his office. Then again, he didn’t really have much to complain about with his flexible work schedule and short commute. “So have you asked her yet?”

Before Farlan could answer, though, Eren’s question caught their attention. “Levi didn’t say anything, but is that an engagement ring on your finger?!”

“Yes! Farlan just asked me last week!”

“Oh my god, congratulations!” He knew Isabel and Farlan were living together, but Levi hadn’t mentioned an engagement and Eren hadn’t wanted to assume anything.

“Finally,” Levi breathed. Farlan had been consulting with him for _months_ about choosing a ring and how to pop the question. Levi had no doubt Isabel and Farlan were meant for one another. The three of them had been best friends through middle school, doing everything together. However, Levi had begun feeling like the third wheel in the first few months of high school, which had been filled with awkward flirting. Thankfully, it hadn’t taken too long for Farlan and Isabel to get their acts together and begin dating. “Told you it was going to be fine, Farl.”

“Hey, you try asking sometime. Then you’ll know how stressful it is.”

“Shut up.” Farlan chuckled at the dark look Levi shot him.

“What about _your_ Eren?” Farlan cocked his head towards Eren and Isabel, a knowing grin on his mouth. While he had never met Levi’s boyfriend until a minute ago, both he and Isabel knew that something stronger than genuine affection was in play for Levi to willingly live with and date someone younger than him. Farlan had been a little surprised when he received the news, but from all accounts, it sounded like they balanced each other out. Levi was a little uptight and Eren was perfect for bringing him out of his shell. “You’ve been together like what? Three, four years now?”

“Tch, ask Eren.” Levi cocked his head at the person in question who was being interrogated by Isabel. “He’s asked me at least a dozen times when he was younger.” He lifted his hand at the brat, wiggling his ring finger teasingly as he raised his voice. “I’m still waiting for that ring from fifteen years ago, Jaeger!”

“Levi!” Eren blushed, face bright red. It came up a fair amount during dinnertime teasing whenever they visited his parents, but he had never heard Levi so boldly proclaim it to others. But Isabel and Farlan weren’t really outsiders to Levi at least, nor did mix with the crowd from Trost University. And even though this was his first time meeting them, they felt like his good friends too. “I can’t believe you still remember that. I was six back then!”

“Five actually.” Levi shrugged at the betrayed look he received. Though Eren was on the cusp of turning six the first time he had brought it up, he was still technically five years old. The Jaegers had been attended a wedding in mid-March, bringing Eren along with them. And when the kid returned, one of the first things Eren had asked him was whether they could marry.

Back then, Levi had been confused as fuck why the five-year-old brat was proposing, or rather begging for his hand in marriage. But Eren had been, and still was, a stubborn shit, never accepting no for an answer. Sometimes the first thing Eren would ask when Levi picked him up from school would be about marriage, and the kid would only continue to pester and badger him on their walk home. Eventually, Levi had agreed as a last-ditch attempt to get the brat to shut up. Of course, that had only excited the kid and resulted in a whole host of other questions and grand proclamations from Eren.

“That’s so cuuuteee!” Isabel clapped her hands excitedly. “And what did Levi do? Did he say yes?”

“Umm…” Eren had heard many stories of his childhood from his parents and had a vague recollection of being fondly attached to Levi as a child, but it was difficult to remember any specifics. It was also very embarrassing to have it brought up.

“Give it a rest. He was five, Izzy.” Levi deadpanned before she could get carried away. While he enjoyed teasing Eren, Isabel would undoubtedly target him with her questions of marriage as well. The issue had been brought up jokingly in the last few years, but it had never come up in serious conversation. Eren was finishing college and had enough on his plate as it was. Levi had considered it once or twice, particularly as Farlan and Isabel’s situation had been on his mind lately, but it didn’t feel like it was the right time… yet.

“Aww… but you owe me some stories, mister!” Isabel lightly jabbed Levi in the shoulder. Eren simply looked relieved not to be the target of her incessant questioning.

“Fine,” Levi conceded. Isabel reminded him of Eren in that sense; stubborn and like a dog with a bone when they were curious about something. “We can talk later. Where are your bags?” Farlan carrying only a backpack was understandable, but Izzy had difficulty understanding the phrase ‘traveling light.’

“At the carousel.” Farlan answered nonchalantly as Isabel resumed probing Eren with questions.

“You couldn’t have gotten them before finding us?” A muscle in Levi’s eye twitched at the prospect of staying even longer in the airport.

“Isabel was too excited to see you, bro.”

“Tch, c’mon.” Glancing down at his watch, he briefly considered running out to add more time to his parking. “Let’s grab your shit and go.”

 

* * *

 

_“Levi, no… Don’t go!” Eren sobbed, hugging Levi’s waist tightly. “You promised we could marry!”_

_Neither boy noticed the flash of amusement that passed between their mothers._

_“You’re too young, Eren.”_

_“But Levi… you said we could marry!”_

_“_ After _you grow up.” Levi stressed. Saying ‘yes’ had been a last-ditch attempt to get the kid to stop badgering him. He hadn’t seriously expected Eren to remember the ‘promise’ for so long. Although he thought of Eren with a modicum of fondness, it was irritating how clingy the kid was at times. Such as now. Marriage notwithstanding, he knew Eren respected and looked up to him, but he never thought the brat was_ this _attached of him._

_Of course, he was talking about the brat who had plucked some roadside dandelion and asked Levi to marry him. Levi could still recall the echoes of Eren chiming ‘Levi, Levi! Marry me!’ in his ears. The first time he had been surprised. The second, a little amused. But after the fiftieth or so time, it had become irritating. Eren didn’t seem to understand the concept of ‘no’ and would ask him at every twist and turn, oftentimes toddling after him with a flower in hand or glomping onto his legs and looking at Levi with those giant green eyes. When he had eventually agreed, Eren had tackled him and wrapped his tiny arms around Levi in the largest and tightest hug ever. Since then, the kid had mentioned their ‘marriage’ to anyone and everyone who cared to hear._

_“Okay…” Eren sniffled, rubbing his eyes and nose with his pudgy hands._

_“You be good for your mom, okay, brat?” Levi sighed, changing topics completely. “And stop crying, it makes you look like shit.” His face was all splotchy and red, snot running down his nose as he held on to Levi, refusing to let go._

_“Levi! Don’t use such language around, Eren.”_

_“Oui, maman.” Ruffling the brat’s head, Levi smiled wryly at the clingy six-year-old. “I’ll come back and visit, okay, Eren?”_

_“Promise?” Watery green eyes looked up at him._

_“Yeah.” Levi wasn’t sure when he would be back, but when he did, the kid was going to be near his height or taller than him. Not that it would take much with Eren already reaching up to his chest. At school, Levi was one of the shortest guys in the class and it wasn’t likely for him to suddenly gain another foot or two. Unfortunately._

_“Pinky promise…?” Scrunching up his nose, Eren held out his pinky finger. Crouching down a little, Levi hooked his own pinky around the tiny one the brat held out and shook it. It had been their thing for several years now. Whenever Eren was unsure or needed reassuring, he would always ask Levi for a pinky promise. Eren called it their special sign._

_“Hurry up! We need to go soon before traffic gets bad!” Kenny called out from the van._

_“Eren, you need to let Levi go now.” Carla gently pulled her son away._

_“Okay…”_

_“Bye brat.”_

_“Bye bye Levi! Come back soon!” Eren waved, watching as Kuchel and Levi walked away. Seeing the door shut and the car drive away with Levi in tow made fresh tears form in Eren’s eyes._

_“Mommy, why does Levi have to leave…?” Eren looked up at his mom after the vehicle had driven out of sight. Levi was his best and coolest friend. With Levi gone, there would be no one for him to play with. “I don’t wan’ him to go.”_

_“Oh honey,” Carla hugged her son tightly. How could one explain the complexities of money or marriage to her little boy? It wasn’t that Kuchel wanted to go, but things had been difficult after she had been fired from her previous job. With the economy being so bad, it was difficult finding a job in such a small town, and so moving was the best bet. “You’ll see Levi again, I’m sure.”_

_“But…why can’t Levi stay with us?”_

_“He’s not part of our family though. And we can’t just take him from Auntie Kuchel.”_

_“But I’m gonna marry Levi when we grow up! Levi said so!” When he married Levi, they would be able to play together forever! And eats lots of ice cream! And he would protect Levi from mean people! “Can’t he stay with us?” Eren pleaded. He really didn’t want Levi to go. “Married people stay together right? Like you and daddy.”_

_“Eren, honey, both you and Levi are too young to get married.” She smiled sweetly at how much Eren wanted to stay with him. It seemed like almost yesterday in which the two boys had met. Eren always trailing behind Kuchel’s boy, who despite his gruff and rough exterior, always kept an eye on him._

_“But… what ‘bout later when I’m bigger?”_

_“Maybe…” Carla hummed. “You must really like Levi.”_

_“Yup! He’s the coolest! And lets me watch TV and play in the park! And he’s super strong too!” Eren beamed at his mom. Levi was like the cool big brother he never had and Eren wanted to spend all his time playing with Levi. Fresh tears began to form at the thought of not being able to play with Levi again._

_“I’m sure you’ll see him again.” Carla squeezed her precious boy assuredly. It was difficult losing someone similar to what Levi represented for Eren, but Eren was tenacious and would eventually get over it. She was sure of it. “C’mon why don’t we get you some of that rocky road ice cream you like so much?”_

_“Okay.” The mention of ice cream perked Eren up a little. But knowing that Levi had moved away still hurt._


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way - I really don't know French outside of cliche phrases, so please let me know if there are any errors.  
> This conversation is really Kuchel asking Levi about his relationship with Eren, how he's doing, etc.

“Leviiii, are you trying to kill me?”

“What are you whining about now, Jaeger?”

“French grammar doesn’t make sense…” He had been staring at the dratted worksheet Levi had them do and self-grade in class. Eren thought he would have at least scored an eighty on it, but he had only gotten sixty points. His only saving grace was that it didn’t actually affect his grade.

Levi clearly didn’t understand his complaint as all he received was a sharply arched eyebrow.

Groaning, Eren looked back at his mistranslated sentence. He had defaulted to the male article instead of using the female one. “I mean you need to learn two new things for each description! How to do the weird gender agreement and how to change the adjective.”

“So?” The blasé and unconcerned reply only irked Eren further. Leave it to Levi to subtly rub in his superiority in a way that echoed his lack of concern.

“So?” he parroted. “French sucks.”

“Stop whining, brat.” Levi shot him a withering glance before turning back to his laptop. “You’re the one that signed up for the class even when I told you not to.”

“I’m not whining!” Okay, maybe he was whining a tiny bit. Eren had originally planned to spend his spring break sleeping in and lazing around with his boyfriend instead of burying his head in his French textbook. Although they lived together, they hadn’t spent much time this semester together. He had been buried under a mountain of class work and most long weekends were spent over in Shiganshina. His mom had insisted on using every special occasion to gather the family together, which only meant less time with Levi. They were invited to and had accepted those short holidays, but not much time was spent alone.

So far his spring break had been wasted studying for the midterm exam Levi had cruelly scheduled for the Monday after the break. And there didn’t seem to be any end in sight. Although he was only taking the class as a language requirement, and therefore his GPA would be unaffected by his grade, Eren had planned to impress Levi by acing it; not that it was possible anymore with how badly he sucked.

“I hate this. You suck!”

His outburst didn’t do anything. Levi merely snorted and continued checking his emails.

“Levi… I’m going to fail the midterm!”

Levi finally sighed and turned towards him with those patently flat grey eyes. Eren perked up and waited expectantly for Levi to speak. “Stop sulking, brat. It’s not even going to affect your GPA.”

“But Levi…” He pouted. Eren knew it was a case of nerves and he was panicking needlessly, but he wanted to look good in front of his boyfriend. Levi was already better at him at a lot of things: cooking, cleaning, even self-defense.

“C’mere, Eren.” A hand beckoned him and Eren almost leapt for it, before remembering he was still annoyed at Levi.

“I’m not a dog, Levi!”

“No shit, I wouldn’t be dating you if you were.” The scowl on Levi’s face darkened, offended by the thought of dating an animal. There were times when dating a younger and emotional brat had its downsides. “Now get your ass over here, Eren.” Levi patted his thighs, waiting as Eren reluctantly got up and trudged over. Cupping the younger man’s face, Levi gently turned Eren's head until they were face-to-face. “Stop sulking. Not everyone picks up a new language as easily, but I know you can. You’re a stubborn shit that doesn’t know when to quit after all.”

“Fine.” Levi’s words were not comforting in the conventional sense, but Eren had long since grown used to his crass language. “But you better make it up to me.”

“You’d better get at least a seventy on the next assignment then.”

“Jerk.” Eren huffed without much of his earlier frustration. “You still suck.”

“So do you.” Levi smirked slyly, leaning in to breathe hot air over Eren’s ear. “And I know you like it when I do.”

The purr rushed over Eren’s skin, reminding him of the _other_ things they had been enjoying over the break.

“Le-Levi!” Cheeks suffused with red, Eren buried his face in his hands, wishing for some higher power to take him away. Levi always had a way to turn the tables on him, leaving him in a heightened state of embarrassment and anxiety.

“Hmm?” There was a faint rumble as Levi chuckled, arms lightly embracing him.

Breathing in deeply, Eren willed himself calm. His concentration was shot and no long focused on studying. He needed to regain some form of equilibrium. Feeling parched, he hopped lightly off his boyfriend’s lap. “I’m going to grab some juice. Want anything?”

“No. I’m good.”

Turning back to his laptop, Levi could hear the sounds of Eren puttering around the kitchen and pouring himself juice. Even though teaching was less stressful than being a student – he didn’t need to worry about grades – the number of hours put in per class was astronomical. It wasn’t an easy task by any means. Not only did he have to prep for classes and grade, but the deluge of emails he received each day was astounding. Many were from the multiple listservs he was on, but there were at least a dozen from each of the three classes he taught.

“Levi! Your phone’s ringing!” Eren called out from the kitchen.

“Who is it?” Levi wasn’t in the mood to talk to people right now. He had just spent the last half hour scrolling through emails, and he still wasn’t close to dealing with the pile of unread messages.

“Umm… it’s your mom.” The brunet came back holding up the device with a familiar number lit up on the screen.

Sighing, Levi got up from the couch and walked over to pick up his phone from Eren. Pressing reply, he immediately switched over to French. “Maman?” His mother insisted on communicating in his native tongue frequently, fearful that he would lose it. He had lost some of his native tongue during middle and high school, but he had regained and added to it after studying French in university and spending two years in France.

“Levi, vous ne m'appelez jamais depuis que vous deux avez déménagé ensemble. Comment est mon garçon chéri?”

“Bien.” Eren looked at him curiously before sauntering off to the kitchen. “Je me suis occupé de l'enseignement.”

“Je vois.” His mom hummed on the other end of the line. “Comment vas-tu et Eren? Est-ce que tu le sois traité?”

“Eren et moi-même sommes bien.” Levi groaned internally.

What was with his and Eren’s mom and interfering with their relationship? Couldn’t they just be slightly _less_ curious? Ever since they had officially become a couple, the maternal smothering had been overwhelming. It had been difficult when he moved out; she was constantly babying and worrying over him. Now that he was dating, that concern had been funneled into motherly curiosity in his relationship. As much as he loved his mom, it was part of why he avoided calling or visiting home; the questions were endless.

“Tu devrais le ramener. Je ne vous ai pas vu tous les deux depuis longtemps.”

“Je lui demanderai.” It _had_ been more than half a year since he had gone home. Levi knew he was a bad son since he rarely visited her, but he was a grown-ass man. And his job and lover were both in Trost.

“Bien. Maintenant, parlez-moi de votre travail.”

The next couple of minutes were spent discussing his job.

“All good?”

“Yeah.” Levi hung up the phone, returning back to the living room. Eren had taken a break from studying and was browsing YouTube videos online. “Mom wants us to visit sometime.” She was only the next state over, but it was still a good five-plus hours of driving, or a two-hour flight, making it an inconvenient trip to make in the middle of the school year.

“I’d love to! I haven’t seen Kuchel since the summer.” He missed the older French lady. Eren loved Kuchel like his own mom, except the fact she was more carefree and less strict than his own parents. “When were you thinking of flying over?”

“Hmm… it won’t affect your classes, so why don’t we go over the Easter long weekend? Your birthday is that Saturday. We can go canoeing again.”

“Really?” Eren immediately perked up at the suggestion. It was a pity Levi’s mom lived too far away to visit often. He always had fun and enjoyed spending time with her. Last time they had spent hours poring over old photo albums and hearing stories of Levi growing up. And while his mom knew how to make amazing cookies and cakes, Levi’s mother always managed to pull out the most amazing French pastries from out of thin air. “Are you sure?”

“I wouldn’t be asking if I wasn’t sure.” Levi flipped open his computer and offhandedly checked the flight prices for Mitras. “You don’t have any exams, do you?” He narrowed his gaze at the brat who was vibrating with excitement.

“Nope. I have a paper due in mid-April and another before finals.”

“Good. Keep it empty.”

“Oh, and the one I have for _your_ class.” Eren’s mouth fell when he suddenly remembered his French exam. He was a little put-off at Levi for it, but the idea of spending a long weekend with Levi vastly outweighed his annoyance. “Why did you have to schedule it then?”

“What? Don’t you brats like having more time to study?” Levi cocked his eyebrows up. He didn’t want to spend the break grading and this way there wouldn’t be any students asking for shitty excuses, such as needing more time to study. They had a fucking week to do so.

“And ruin our spring break?” Eren argued back. “That’s so not fair!”

“Whatever you say.” Levi hummed as he tuned out the argumentative and unhappy brat he was dating. Even if he hadn’t scheduled the exam after the break, they wouldn’t have been able to spend the entire break indulging in the sickly sweet, fluffy, and pathetically romantic activities society seemed to foster. Instead, what they had spent the last couple of days doing – sleeping in, sharing meals, and just being by one another’s side – was enough for him.

“Are you even listening to me, Levi?”

“Hmm?” Levi hid the small smirk at the neglected tone Eren was using. The brunet used to use the same tone when they were younger and Eren desperately wanted his attention, or something similar. Had it been his first time listening, the Frenchman would have given into his lover’s whine immediately. But as it was, Levi knew enough to know that Eren was just pouting.

“Did you hear anything I said?”

“Oui.” Levi muttered, turning his gaze back onto his email. He figured it was the appropriate time to take a break. It was difficult to concentrate with Eren hounding him and there was no rush. The rest of his course planning wouldn’t take more than a day to prep; he just needed to go over the lectures from last year.

Pushing the screen of his laptop down, Levi turned to see Eren looking at him with a bewildered expression. Eren’s soft lips were pursed around a straw, large green eyes looking at him questioning.

“Levi?”

Giving his boyfriend a once over, Levi frowned at how Eren was dressed in only a thin t-shirt and shorts. The rest of him was similarly unkempt. Eren’s hair were forever an unfixable mess, but those chestnut locks were beginning to creep over his ears and eyes. “When was the last time you had a haircut, Eren?”

“Err… sometime in January I think?” Eren scratched his scalp, trying to think back. With classes, exams, and job searching, getting a haircut was near the bottom of his priorities.

“Tch, come on, brat.” Levi got up from the sofa.

“Huh?” Eren quickly got to his feet, furrowing his brows in confusion. Last he checked they hadn’t made any plans for the afternoon or evening. “Where to?”

“The bathroom. I’m going to trim your hair a bit.” Levi was used to trimming his own hair and had done Eren’s once or twice before. They’d probably need to go to a barber sometime later, but Levi could at least do something to tame the scraggly mop it resembled.

And at the very least, Eren would stop whining about not spending any time together.

 

* * *

 

_“Hi Mikasa.” Eren opened the door, flinging it open with a beaming smile. It was a bummer that Armin was gone to visit Africa with his parents, but it was finally summer vacation! He couldn’t wait until they were at the zoo. It was going to be awesome!_

_“You ready?” The dark-haired girl asked. She met Eren in grade one and he was one of her best friends._

_“Yup! Just let me grab my shoes.”_

_“Okay.” She brought the scarf up to her mouth and waited for him to rush back downstairs._

_“Mom, I’m heading out with Mikasa!” Eren called out, forcing his feet into his shoes._

_“Okay, have fun and stay safe!” Carla called out from the kitchen where she was busy kneading dough. “If you need me just call.”_

_“Okay! Bye mom.”_

_“Come on.” Mikasa urged, eager to get to the zoo._

_“Woah, whose car is that?” Eren’s eyes bugged at the silver Ford Mustang parked at the side of the sidewalk. He would have sworn it was new if it hadn’t been an older model. The metallic body gleamed in the bright sun and even the wheels looked freshly cleaned. “I thought your parents drove a minivan.”_

_“My cousin’s.” Mikasa simply responded, popping open the door for Eren to enter._

_“Hey brat.”_

_“Umm… who are you?” Eren jerked his head up, a little surprised and nervous to be addressed so informally by someone he had never met. But if they were Mikasa’s cousin and she trusted them, then he did too._

_“Tch, I babysat you for two years and you don’t even remember. Figures…” Levi muttered to himself. He didn’t know why he even bothered. It wasn’t like the kid would remember who he was. The green-eyed brat he used to babysit looked different. Still childish and tiny -_ for now _, Levi scowled at the thought – but less baby-faced than before. Eren still had pudgy cheeks, but they had slimmed down compared to when he was still a toddler. And give or take a year and Eren would easily reach his height._

_“Wait… Levi…?” Eren blinked in confusion, staring at the dark-haired individual sitting at the driver’s seat. He had had other babysitters, but none of them were male, had dark hair, and drove a car. Well… the Levi he knew couldn’t drive a car, but his former neighbor had been the only male babysitter he had had. Eren couldn’t see the man’s eyes under those dark sunglasses, but everything else was similar to the pictures around his house._

_“Mikasa, you know Levi?” Eren was confused. How did his childhood friend know his former babysitter?_

_“We’re cousins.”_

_“Oh.” Glancing between the pair of dark-haired people, Eren guessed he could see_ some _resemblance between the two of them. Even then, Levi looked very different from five years ago. From his fuzzy memories, Levi was his larger-than-life protector who always took care of him, not this cool looking guy driving a sports car and wearing sunglasses._

_“Well, what are you kids waiting for? Buckle up.”_

_There was a rapid scrabbling to push the belts into the buckles and as soon as Levi was satisfied they were, he started up the engine. As expected given the brat’s chatterbox tendencies, Eren opened his mouth before they even hit the end of the block._

_“When did you come back? I didn’t know you returned to Shiganshina, Levi.” Eren’s last memory of him was some vague promise on his doorstep, but he couldn’t remember it clearly. He hadn’t heard from or talked to Levi at all in the intervening years. Had it not been for the fact that his mom was still in contact with Kuchel and loved teasing him with photos and stories from his childhood, Eren doubted he would still remember as much as he did._

_His memories from back then were mostly a blur, but he could definitely recall events such as going trick or treating or playing in the park. There was also that bullying incident. Eren wondered whether Levi was as strong as he remembered; it was difficult to judge when his line of sight was blocked by the back of the driver’s seat._

_“Just for the summer. Mikasa’s parents are going away for a business trip.” Levi mentioned nonchalantly and Mikasa who was sitting beside Eren nodded._

_“Levi’s taking care of me.” Mikasa was mildly surprised that Levi and Eren knew each other, but hid it well. Her parents had mentioned her cousin had lived in Shiganshina before moving west, but nothing specific. She had only met Levi twice before, this past Christmas and the previous Thanksgiving, and they hadn’t interacted much with each other. Although they were the only two non-adults, he was basically an adult and almost twice her age._

_“So how is it living with Levi? He was really cool as a babysitter!” Eren could remember the time Levi went trick or treating with him and let him eat a bunch of candy along the way. Or the time Levi beat up the bully near the park._

_“It’s okay.” So far, living with him seemed okay. Levi had some strict policies about cleaning, but other than that, he was laxer than her parents about meal planning and curfews. His cooking wasn’t bad either._

_“Does he let you eat ice cream for dinner?”_

_“Oi, brat. I’m right here.” Levi snorted at Eren’s absurd question. There was no way in hell that was going to happen. How was he not surprised that Eren’s sweet tooth for ice cream remained._

_“I know, but I’m asking Mikasa.” Eren pouted. Mikasa gave him an unreadable glance, as though disturbed at the thought of having solely ice cream for dinner. “What are you doing here this summer, Levi? I thought you moved?” This was the first time he had seen Levi since the older boy moved away._

_“Nothing really. I’m going to T.U. in September. It was easier to find some place in Shiganshina than from Mitras.” Shiganshina was only an hour’s drive away from Trost, so he would be able to get to Trost easily without worrying about rent or anything._

_Plus, he’d be able to get away from his mom’s curiosity towards his love life. Or asking why he hadn’t brought over his special someone yet. Levi had already come out to his mom and Kenny about being gay two years ago. They had been little shocked, Kenny more so than his mom, but both of them had gotten over it yet. So instead of dinner table conversations being who his girlfriend was, it was now who his boyfriend was._

_“So how’s school, kid?”_

_“Hey, I’m not a kid anymore. I’m eleven now!”_

_“Still a kid to me.” Levi snorted. Eren had been a brash hothead growing up and it hadn’t changed at all._

_“If I’m a kid, then you’re an old man.” Eren huffed. “Don’t you think so Mika?”_

_Checking his mirror, Levi refocused his attention on driving instead of playing twenty questions with the brat._

_The rest of the car ride was filled with the sounds of chatter. If Eren wasn’t excitedly talking to Mikasa and making plans for their trip to the zoo, he was asking Levi questions. The Ackerman cousins were much more reserved in comparison, but Eren more than made up for their lack of conversation, speaking enough for all three people in the vehicle._

_“We’re here.” Levi skillfully parked on the side of the curb. Even though they were several hundred feet away, he could already smell the distasteful stench of animals._

_“Thanks for the ride, Levi.” Eren waved as he hopped out of the car with Mikasa following close behind._

_“No problem. You two brats have fun. I’ll be around, so text me when you need a pickup.”_

_“Okay.”_

_“You have your phone, right?”_

_“Mhm.”_

_“Good.”_

_“Come on, Mika! Let’s go!” Eren tugged on Mikasa’s arm._

_Levi rolled his eyes at Eren’s antics. It was a good thing Mikasa was there to look after him. He would probably end up in the lion cage or something if she wasn’t there. “You better get going. Eren looks like he’s going to run off.”_

_“He does that.” The corners of Mikasa’s lips twitched upwards._

_“Levi!” Eren huffed at the good natured chuckle from his former neighbor._

_“Later, Mikasa. Brat.”_

_It turned out that Eren saw quite a bit of Levi that summer. Armin was away on an archeology thingy with his parents, meaning that he spent all his time with Mikasa, and by proxy, Levi. His former babysitter and friend (did Levi consider him a friend?), had definitely grown up. Levi was still taller than him, but instead of a foot or so difference, it was only a couple of inches now. But since when had Levi become so grown up and cool?_


	7. Chapter 7

“Oi, watch your step, brat.” Levi cautioned as the young man stepped into the boat.

“I’ll be fine, Levi. Stop worrying.” Eren grumbled, lightly tugging at his arm. He didn’t want to pull too hard and capsize the canoe before they even started. His boyfriend’s caring was appreciated, but he wasn’t a five-year-old anymore. He could definitely board a canoe without assistance.

Shaking his head at Eren’s stubbornness, Levi made sure Eren was properly seated before letting go. Couldn’t the brat see that he was simply worried that he would trip and fall? They had a good distance to go on boat till their destination and having damp clothes would suck. Positioning himself in the rickety boat, Levi rolled up his sleeves before grabbing the paddles and pushed off from the harbor.

It was easy to get into the simple back and forth rhythm of rowing, feeling the warm breeze whisper through his hair. Even Eren’s bratty enthusiasm and endless chatter couldn’t dampen his spirits. One of the unfortunate parts of teaching was the lack of physical exercise in the mundane activity.

It was difficult for Eren to pull his eyes away from Levi’s rhythmic movements. Physical movement suited Levi. Sitting down with his sleeves rolled up perfectly showed off the corded muscles on Levi’s arms as he rowed. Those same arms had held him down as Levi drove into him, locks of dark hair falling over his forehead, while his face contorted in pleasure. Eren’s gut stirred at the memory.

Forcing his thoughts onto more mundane events, Eren breathed in the warm air, savoring the private bubble they were enclosed in. It was rare for him to get an opportunity to spend quality time with Levi outside their apartment. It was definitely worth commemorating. Pulling out his cell, Eren quickly snapped a selfie with Levi in the background and sent it to his mom with the message, ‘On a date with Levi!’ Not a moment later, it pinged with a reply.

“What are you smiling at, brat?”

“Oh, nothing.” Eren grinned at his mom’s words. Levi would undoubtedly get annoyed from hearing the same things about how they were a cute couple again.

A flash of yellow in the corner of his eye caught Eren's attention. Quickly swiveling around, he was delighted to see a row of cute fluffy ducklings making their way in a row across the placid waters. “Look, there’s a bunch of ducks there!”

“That’s nice.” Levi replied automatically. He had noticed the moving yellow splotch on water earlier, but paid them little attention. He had never liked ducks. Their only redeeming feature was that they tasted good on the dinner table. Otherwise, they were nothing but trouble. They shit everywhere, made irritating honking noises, and would attack by snapping their bills around one’s fingers if the idiot was stupid enough to offer them food.

“You’re not even looking.” Eren harrumphed, taking a picture and sending it to Levi’s mom after he did. Going boating was something they had never done in Trost for fear of being seen by someone they knew, and he had hoped to make more happy memories together during one of their rare outings. But now that they were here, Levi was back to his frumpy reserved self.

It had been a long time since he had spent quality time with Levi. Eren’s schedule had been too busy lately. It was difficult to enjoy the simple pleasures of being with his significant other while juggling job hunting, writing his thesis, and classes. Sex, of course, had also taken a backseat to work.

Eren scowled when he realized what he had been thinking of. Here they were having a perfectly nice date on a boat and he was thinking of sex? Ugh, he was becoming a little too much like Jean. Wiping away any thoughts of physical pleasure, he turned back to examine Levi’s features.

Compared to the cold and dismissive look Levi had on in the classroom, there was a lightness to those firm lips and grey eyes. The usual dark circles weren’t as visible and Levi’s expression was relaxed. Beads of sweat dotted the darkly handsome man’s forehead and Eren unconsciously reached over to wipe them off Levi’s brow.

“The hell are you doing, Eren?” Levi immediately jerked back, causing the canoe to rock uncontrollably. “I’m busying rowing the boat, brat.”

“Let me row it then!” Eren made a sudden move to grab the paddles, causing the boat to abruptly lurch sideways.

“What the fuck! Don’t flail around like that, brat!” He would painfully dismember the brat if Eren caused them to capsize and fall into the water.

“But I wanna row the boat.”

“Last time you tried, you just went in circles.” Two years ago they had gone boating on a lake with his mom. Levi hadn’t minded the physical exertion as they rowed aimlessly on the waters, but Eren had asked to have a shot at rowing afterwards. The brat’s persistence and confusion in how they kept going in circles was amusing at first, but got progressively more irritating when Eren refused to let go of the oars. Even worse, Kuchel had found it a delight and insisted Eren continue to commandeer the canoe, which only went in circles. Levi shuddered at the reminder.

“But Levi… if you don’t let me try, I’ll never learn.” Eren pleaded. He might not be the best at it, but it wasn’t like he had any opportunity to learn how to do so either. “And we studied covered fluid dynamics in my class last year.” He added lamely.

“What the hell does fluid dynamics have to do with rowing?”

“Well, I know all about the mechanics and physics behind rowing now!”

“Tch, that doesn’t mean you can row for shit.”

“Oh, come on, Levi…” Eren was aware knowing the physics and formulae behind was not the same as being able to row, but it had to count for something… right? As enjoyable as it was watching Levi, he hated sitting around while Levi did everything. “Please…” He grinned as a flicker of acceptance flashed in the pair of dark gunmetal eyes.

“Fine,” Levi stopped his movements, handing the oars to Eren as the canoe drifted. “But you better not fuck up this time.” While it should be easier given that they were going in same the direction of the stream, the last thing he wanted was to go around in circles in the sun and get a headache from all the sunlight and rocking. “We still have a ways to go.”

“Yay! Thank you, Levi.” Happily taking the oars from Levi, he pressed a small kiss on Levi’s cheek. “You’re the best!”

“Tch, just don’t make me regret it.”

“You won’t. I promise.” Grinning, Eren adjusted the oars and tried to copy mimic Levi’s actions. Despite how simple Levi made it look, it was difficult for Eren to get the rhythm right. Instead of going in tiny circles like last time, the boat weaved side to side, making semi-circles across the stream’s surface. The canoe was calm at least, without too much rocking.

After five or so odd minutes, Eren’s arms began to ache. Maybe he was doing it wrong or perhaps he was out of shape, but Levi had made it seem so easy. Heck, Levi made everything from cleaning to cooking look easy. It made him realize a little about how spoiled he was by his boyfriend. Levi already made most of their meals and now he was also taking care of the cleaning to give Eren more time to study.

“Watch it, brat.” Levi scowled as a tiny splash caused water droplets to hit him. While they had a brought a change a spare clothes to visit his mom, it wasn’t like they had that many outfits for the Easter long weekend.

“Sorry. I’m trying my best here, Levi.” This time Eren managed to guide the canoe with a little more finesse as it weaved through the small rocky landscape. “See? I can row a boat too!”

“Tch, finally.”

Compared to their previous outing on the water, where the air vibrated with the happy chuckling of families and other couples, their journey down the stream was accompanied with the gurgle of running water and soft splashes as the oars broke the water’s surface. It was quite pleasant being in their own little world drifting down the body of water towards their picnic destination.

“Having fun?” There was an intense look on Eren’s face as the brunet rowed. Despite Eren’s inability to steer or go in a straight line, their little canoe managed to glide across the water… though it resembled more a duckling than a swan. There was a mocking smirk on Levi’s face as the dark-haired man assessed the random journey they made over the placid surface. He was doubly glad Eren hadn’t done anything stupid like last time, which had resulted in both of them having their faces splashed.

“Of course.” Eren bit back. His shoulders and back ached from the strenuous back and forth movement, but Eren would rather risk aching muscles than admit it to his boyfriend.

Levi raised a brow skeptically, but kept quiet. His lips curled upwards at the admirable fierce determination in Eren’s eyes. An occasional breeze blew through ruffling Eren’s chocolate locks. Eren's normally messy hair was mussed beyond recognition, tanned skin glowing in the sunlight.

The quiet was rather quickly disrupted by a pop song escaping from Eren’s lips.

“What are you humming now, brat?” He scowled, recognizing the annoying catching tune after it had appeared so often on the radio. Music was one of the things they failed to agree on. Levi’s preferences leaned towards classic rock, whereas Eren was into energetic pop songs.

“Hmm? What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction.” There was a teasing grin as the offbeat words began flowing out of those lips. “ _Baby, you light up my world like nobody else_ …”

“Tch, shut up, brat.” Despite how the tune was annoyingly catchy, the way Eren said those words wormed their way into Levi’s heart, defusing most of the heat in his retort.

“ _Right now I’m looking at you and I can’t believe. You don’t know~ Oh~ oh~ You don’t know you’re beautiful._ ” The brunet serenaded.

“Jaeger…” This time, Levi refused to let his emotions dictate his tone of voice. If he didn’t stop Eren now, the brat would only take it as an opportunity to irritate the hell out of him on their car ride back. “And give me the oars back. I’ll do the rest.”

“Fine.” Eren harrumphed, handing over the paddles. “Why are you always so grumpy Levi?” Rolling his shoulders, the burn in his shoulders gradually receded as he was no longer working the water. “All work and no play makes you a dull old man, you know?” He pointed out, editing the proverb slightly.

“You were the one who confessed to a dull old man, Eren.” Levi retorted without blinking.

“But I didn’t know you were such an old man back then.”

“Hm, so you’re saying you don’t love me anymore?” Levi batted his eyes, pretending to play coy.

“Levi…! You know what I mean!” As much as he loved Levi and enjoyed spending time with him, Eren really didn’t enjoy being teased. A large part was because he rarely won. Somehow or another, even if he got a small victory, Eren would find himself on the losing side. Levi was much better at getting under his skin than he was at getting under Levi’s.

“I know. It’s cute when you’re angry.”

“Jerk.” Eren crossed his arms, cheeks puffing up in anger. Levi didn’t know why, but Eren was strangely cute when he angry. It reminded Levi of all the instances when Eren was younger, puffing up his cheeks in consternation whenever things didn’t go his way. Eren certainly wasn’t a kid anymore – they shared immense enjoyment in certain adult activities – but the brat’s stubbornness and optimism had not changed at all.

“Yeah, so you’ve said.” Making quick work of the last stretch, Levi rowed the boat to their destination: a small dock a ways down the stream. The canoe bobbed slightly as it docked along the shore. The dockhands at the boat rental immediately took over, securing the canoe. Pulling out a medium-sized paper bag from under his seat, Levi followed Eren as the two of them got stepped on the shore.

“That was fun.” Eren smiled, grabbing his boyfriend’s hand. “I told you I could row, didn’t I?”

“Mm.” The soft grumble of Eren’s stomach vibrated, carrying through their joined hands. “Hungry?”

“Yeah, sorry.” Eren grinned sheepishly. “Are you finally going to tell me what’s in the bag you prepared?” He was excited to know what Levi had made. The dark-haired man had kicked him out of the kitchen after breakfast and vehemently refused to reveal what it was.

“Sure, but let’s find someplace to sit first.”

 

A couple hundred feet away two familiar females strolled along the on the walkway in the park.

“Hey, Ymir. Doesn’t that look like Eren and Dr. Ackerman?” Krista nudged her girlfriend. She had never met the infamously short French lecturer in person, but she knew what he looked like from all the descriptions heard and his website photo.

“Where?”

“Over there.” She pointed at the two men sitting closely together in a secluded corner of the park. The taller brunet had crawled next to and was feeding the shorter dark-haired man a strawberry mouth to mouth. The spring air carried a tinkling laughter when the brunet wiped off a glob of something white from the other man’s cheek.

It took Ymir a moment to recognize Eren, but the delighted giggle that emerged could be none other than their mutual friend. “Oh my god, it does!” Whipping out her phone, she zoomed in as close as possible and snapped a picture. Quickly attaching it to a group chat, she began typing a message to go with it. “Gotta tell the rest of them!”

“Wait, Ymir.” Krista pulled on her overenthusiastic girlfriend’s arm, preventing the message and photo from being sent. “We don’t even know if it’s them. We _are_ a long way away from Trost.”

“Krista… it’s so obvious it’s them!”

“I think so too, but why don’t we ask Eren first?” She patted her girlfriend’s hand lightly. While she believed it _was_ Eren and Professor Ackerman, Krista didn’t want to spread an unsubstantiated falsehood either. Insofar as she was aware, her friend had never expressed anything but dislike or frustration towards his French lecturer, making Eren an unlikely candidate for the brunet currently engaged in feeding the dark-haired male. “Just to be safe.”

“Okay.” Ymir gave in, snapping a few more pictures before pocketing her phone. There was no way she was going to let such a juicy piece of news slip through. “But only because it’s you, babe.”

 

* * *

 

_He imagined slate grey eyes dilated so only a silvery ring remained looking down at him. Lips curled at the corners smirking down at him. Taut skin stretched over hard muscle. Black hair plastered against his forehead as beads of sweat dripped. A signature smirk gracing those lips as pale hands untouched by the summer sun skimmed over his heated flesh._

_“Ugh… hnnn… Le-vi!” He gasped. Despite how he tried to keep his voice down, his labored breathing continued to echo loudly in his ears. Staring at his hand, he was mortified at the realization of what he had just done. Forcing his limp limbs to cooperate, the brunet quickly grabbed a tissue and wiped off the sticky white substance on his hand. He had had one or two girlfriends before and kissed a few boys before, so having a male partner in his fantasy wasn’t outside the realm of possibility._

_But of all the people on the planet, Eren couldn’t believe it was Levi’s name that had come out of his mouth._

_He liked and looked up to Levi. In his mind, Levi was and would always be the one who picked him up from class, saved a six-year-old from playground bullies, and took him out for ice cream. The older man was like a brother in many respects, driving him and Mikasa around that one summer while Armin was away. And despite his diminutive stature, Levi was pretty badass, particularly when wearing his signature scowl, sunglasses, and leather jacket._

_But Eren had never expected to jerk off to his former babysitter!_

_Groaning, he stood up to find a few more tissues to clean himself off._

_It had been nearly two years since he had last seen Levi – the man had gone to France on some fancy exchange as part of his degree – and it was only then that he realized how much he missed seeing the man. Throughout his middle school years, Eren had grown accustomed to seeing Levi at least once every few weeks. His mom sometimes invited Levi over for dinner and other times it was over at Mikasa’s house. They didn’t even spend that much that time together. Levi was a cool adult figure he admired and looked up to, but Eren realized now that those feelings of missing and thinking about Levi were similar to a schoolgirl pining over her crush._

_They sent the occasional text or Facebook message to one another. Levi was not big on texting, often providing one or two word answers. Eren didn’t want to disturb him too much, but he wished they spent more time talking or even just texting._

_It was now his last Christmas as a high school student. Levi had come back during the Christmas holidays, but so far he had only seen him briefly. Eren had never missed anyone more than he missed Levi. And now that he was back in town, it had turned into full-blown attraction._

_Eren knew he swung both ways. He had dated a few people, even fooling around with a guy or two when he first came to terms with his sexuality. His parents had been nothing but supportive, even bringing up his childhood crush on Levi, but those had been all fun and games. Up till now, he had never seriously liked someone the way he felt towards the older dark-haired man._

_It was different from the silly childish fantasies he had when he was six._ That _Levi had been the next-door neighbor, a big brother, and a protector. The current Levi retained some of those features Eren remembered from childhood – jet black locks in a sharp undercut, pale skin, a resting bitch face – but there was something about Levi that drew him like a moth to a flame. Although Levi was no longer the larger than life figure from his childhood – Eren was taller than his former babysitter now, having shot up to five and a half feet in the last couple of years – there was something about the man’s demeanor that let Eren know crossing him would only be a slow and painful death. Had he not already known Levi, Eren certainly would be afraid to bump into him in the dark or in some small alleyway. But those rough edges around the man only added to his allure. _Levi possessed a raw masculinity that few possessed.__

_Lying back down in his bed, the last thing Eren remembered was a pair of steely grays looking back at him._


	8. Chapter 8

“Professor Smith is _so_ my type!” A girlish titter cried out from the table next to them. “He’s so dreamy.”

“Seriously?” Jean cringed at the girl’s choice of words. Though he was staunchly heterosexual, he could understand, grudgingly, _why_ someone might consider the literature professor physically attractive. Tall, buff, blue-eyed blonds had become a thing after the new Captain America movie, and Professor Smith resembled the superhero more than most other blonds out there. But dreamy was another thing…

“Don’t insult other people’s preferences, Jean.” Marco advised before his childhood friend could shoot himself in the foot. Jean was a decent guy, but he sometimes didn’t fully think things through before talking.

“I’m not insulting her.” He shot a glance at the gentle giant. Marco had always been the pacifist between the two of them. “I get he’s hot, but dreamy?”

“Who’s dreamy?” Connie asked, in between wiping Sasha’s cheek off.

“No one.” Jean rolled his eyes at the same time Marco chimed, “Professor Smith.”

“Oh, the guy we had for lit in our first year?”

“Yeah. Some chick over there,” Jean vaguely pointed in the direction of the comment, “said she thought he was dreamy. I don’t get it.”

“He _is_ dreamy.” Mikasa muttered, ignoring the multiple pair of eyes who suddenly turned to look at her. Even Eren was shocked to hear her say that. “What?” She shrugged at the flabbergasted and shocked expressions everyone around her had. “You learn to appreciate such things if you see them daily.” She was exposed to male and female physiques frequently in class and in the practical, attractive and unattractive alike, and could definitely understand someone saying their literature professor was dreamy.

“Umm… okay…” Jean didn’t know what to say after that. He had been interested in Mikasa from the real beginning – they had been friends for a long time – but she never expressed interest in dating. Or him. And if her type steered towards buff blonds, well… that sucked. “So… if you could bang one of your profs, who would you choose?”

“Why would I need to answer that? I already have Krista.” Krista patted her girlfriend’s hand. “What about you?”

“I’d totally do Professor Ral. She’s smokin’ hot.”

Eren snorted at Jean’s latest obsession with Petra Ral, their shared psychology professor. Eren had taken it for an easy grade, but if he was a betting man, he would bet that the horseface had taken the class simply to stare at Professor Ral. Jean literally spent each day salivating over their professor. It was sickening.

“You’d do anything on two legs.” Reiner scoffed, joining their conversation.

“Oh, come on, bro. Who you’d do?”

“Maybe prof Zach-something. We just call her Nanaba.” The giant blond responded casually, picking up his burger and taking a large bite.

“She’s married.” Jean supplied.

“So? You asked. I’d totally bang her if I had the chance.” Reiner shrugged carelessly at the accusation.

“Her husband, Mike, _is_ pretty hot too.” Annie added. Sasha nodded in agreement, unable to say something from the sandwich in her mouth. “What about you, Eren?”

“Uhh…” The question left him in a bind. His gut instinct told him to say Levi, because they _were_ together, but that would be a dead giveaway to their true relationship. Up to this point, Eren hadn’t indicated much interest in his short dark-haired French professor. Whenever Levi came up in conversation, he had made sure to never talk positively about the man. It was fairly easy to do given the numerous assignments and draconian teaching style Levi had.

However, there really wasn’t anyone else Eren could picture himself with. He had already come out as being bisexual and preferring guys, but responding with Levi’s name would be a weird choice. Levi wasn’t the most likeable individual on the best of days, and that was certainly the case both on campus and in class.

“Maybe, Professor Jinn?” Eren hedged. His computational analysis professor wasn’t too bad looking, even if his type tended to steer towards grey eyes, silky black hair, and pale skin. Height was secondary when it came down to it.

“Hmm…” Ymir hummed in disbelief. After looking over the pictures again, there was no doubt it had been Eren in the picture. Not unless he had a doppelganger or something. She had only held back on confronting her friend because Krista had asked her to. But how could she let go of such a delicious opportunity? “So… Eren, where were you over Easter?”

“Umm… I went back home to see family?” He replied cautiously. Ymir’s light tone told him she was up to something. What he said wasn’t exactly a lie. Kuchel was practically family. Eren had known her since childhood, she was good friends with his own mom, and she was Levi’s mother.

Of course, visiting Kuchel wasn’t the only thing Levi and him had done while there. While they occasionally went out on dates, they hadn’t really done anything like picnicking that could be easily discovered. Nor were there many public displays of affection from Levi around Trost and particularly in their neighborhood, outside of the apartment.

“Oh, so this isn’t you in the photo?” Ymir held up her phone to reveal a shot of him and Levi on their date.

“No.” Dread pooled to his gut as he tried his best to act composed as picture after revealing picture showed up. Eren shot a glance towards Mikasa, telepathically pleading her to back his story, but the trace of resignation barely visible on her stony countenance told him he would need to solve the conundrum himself. “Maybe it’s just someone who looks like me?”

“Really?” There was a sly Cheshire grin on Ymir’s lips as she selected another photo and zoomed in on it. This one was of him grinning largely while moving in with a forkful of food. His face was clearly visible. Levi’s face was obscured, but his signature undercut was undeniable.

Eren remembered everything that happened. While the food they were sharing was the same, he had insisted on sharing his meal in a more intimate manner. Levi had scowled and told him off, but more than once, they found one another exchanging forkfuls of pasta salad, smoked salmon and cheese on crackers, veggie sticks, and strawberries with cream. It had been such a perfect date too…

“Lemme see!” Jean made a grab for the phone, which Ymir easily handed over.

Blood drained from Eren’s face as the small device was passed around, dawning expression of surprise lighting up on his friends’ faces.

“Oh my god! It’s Eren and midget dick!” The two-toned blond jeered.

“Stop calling him that!” Eren bit back. He was panicking internally. What would Levi say now? Would his boyfriend lose his job? Would he have to drop the class? They had jokingly discussed contingency plans, but Eren had never imagined it would actually happen. And they had been so careful to not let it slip either.

“So what’s your relationship with him?” Krista questioned. While she was burning with curiosity, she also understood the difficulties of hiding a relationship. Her own relationship with Ymir was kept under wraps for months as she hadn’t come out to her family at the time.

“Well…” Eren scratched the back of his head. How was he supposed to answer it? Was he supposed to go all out and tell them the truth? If only he could call Levi and ask for advice…

“They’re dating.” Mikasa answered for him instead.

“Mikasa?!” Eren paled when the truth came out. Of all the people to reveal his secret, MIkasa was the one he suspected the least after Levi.

“It’s the truth.” She shrugged carelessly. It was bound to happen eventually. She was surprised the two of them had hidden it so well and for more than three years. Eren wasn’t the type to keep secrets for a long time. “You guys have been together for four years now.”

“Seriously? That’s a long time.” Reiner whistled, genuinely impressed. “How’d you guys meet?”

“Umm… he’s Mikasa’s cousin?” Eren answered in a small voice. He wasn’t lying; he just wasn’t telling the _whole_ truth. It was bad enough there was photographic evidence of his date with Levi lying around, but mentioning that he was dating his former babysitter made him want to crawl into a small hole somewhere and never come out.

“So, you’re taking the class because of Professor Ackerman?” Sasha piped in.

“Well kinda…” There were other reasons involved, largely related to Levi, but Eren didn’t want to add more fuel to the fire. The tickets were already booked and all he needed to do was make it through graduation now… if he made it through at all.

The rest of the conversation devolved into friendly teasing and questions about his relationship with Levi.

 

“So umm… Levi…”

“Spit it out, brat.” Levi didn’t bother looking up as he placed a red X on the corner of the page.

“I told my friends about us.” Levi shot a quizzical look at him as he took a seat on the sofa. Had it not been for Ymir’s photo, Eren would never have revealed it prior graduation. “Well… they kinda found out when we went to visit your mom.”

“And?”

“Well… they think it’s weird and teased me, but I don’t think they’re going to make a big issue out of it.” He would no doubt be getting more annoying texts from Jean or Ymir about his relationship. But that would be minor compared to news leaking out and having both their lives go up in flames because of it.

“Good.” The last thing Levi wanted was for the administration to hear and make a big deal of it. It was a grey area, but some might argue his relationship with Eren might constitute a conflict of interest even if he had cleared it with the department head. Teaching had never been Levi’s thing anyways, but it was nice way to pay the rent and student bills while trying to figure out what he was going to do next.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, Levi’s hand gently stroking his hair at random intervals as he continued to work. Unable to concentrate on anything else, Eren leaned into the gentle touch. Eyes on his boyfriend’s well-practiced movements, he watched as pale hands flipped through the pages, quickly skimming, and then marking them with red ink.

There were only three weeks before classes ended and while Eren was glad to see the light at the end of a long four years, he would miss the opportunity to observe Levi teach. He wasn’t directly interacting with his boyfriend every second during those three hours each week, but being able to learn about other facets of his partner was fascinating. There were downsides, such as the workload and pressure to prove himself to Levi, but multiple upsides as well. Eren took dark delight in watching Levi admonish latecomers by name – after the first time, he had made sure never to show up late again – nearly scare a guy to death when the student looked up from his not-so-well-hidden cellphone to see Levi’s signature glare, and dress down another student asking for a few extra points. But those were all minor benefits compared to being able to spend time around his boyfriend. Granted they still had to be discrete about their relationship, but rarely did one get a chance to openly watch (and stare at) their own significant other.

“Everything okay?” Levi prompted. Eren was always chatty and inquisitive about his work, never running out of questions, but the ball of boundless energy seemed to have run out for once.

“Hm, yeah. Jus’ tired.”

“Why don’t you go a nap? I’ll wake you up after I’m done.” They had originally made plans for movie night after he was done, but it was difficult gauging how long it would take since he had only started ten minutes ago.

“Don’ wanna move.”

“Are you even comfortable?” His brows furrowed at the twisted L shape Eren was in, head and spine resting on his lap and the soft, and feet touching the floor. Levi didn’t mind, but waking up after falling asleep like that would be painful.

“Mhm.” Eren muttered quietly as exhaustion kicked in. “Mm, Levi… you smell nice.”

The only response was another gentle ruffle of his hair which made him smile. Shutting his eyes, he nuzzled deeper into Levi’s lap. After the hectic afternoon, the peace and quiet was very much appreciated.

 

* * *

 

_Eren had been acting strangely around him lately. More restless and fidgety than usual. The kid was always bursting with energy and boundless curiosity, rushing forward without thinking things through many times, so something must have happened to make Eren act the way he was right now. It wasn’t as if the nervous energy wasn’t there, but somehow the brunet managed to withhold himself from making inane comments._

_“Oi, brat. What’s wrong?” Eren had been the one to ask to meet up, but now that they did, he barely spoke._

_“Huh?”_

_“You look like you just killed my dog.” Levi could smell the secret hidden behind those guileless eyes from a mile away. There was no doubt Eren had done something or said something he didn’t want to give away._

_“You have a dog?” Eren looked up confused. Levi didn’t seem like the type to get a dog. A cat maybe, but not a dog._

_“Tch, no. It was a figure of speech, idiot. If you’re not feeling well, let me know. I’ll drop you back at home.”_

_“No, no!” Eren breathed. He just didn’t know what to say to Levi. After seeing Mikasa’s cousin decked on in all his glory – a leather jacket, tight-fitting jeans, sunglasses, and Doc Martens – Eren had come to terms that what he felt was more than a crush towards his former baby sitter. He had idea how the man pulled it off, but Levi was_ hot _. And his teenage virgin heart couldn’t help but blush around the dark-haired man. “I… I’ve just been thinking of some things.”_

_“Care to share?”_

_“Not really…” Eren bit his lip and Levi scowled. He had an inkling he knew what the brat wanted to say. Hell, since they met up, the brat had been sitting there looking all weirdly quiet and staring at him with those big-ass doe-eyes._

_“Tch, there’s no point in pretending, brat. I’ve known you since you were in diapers.” It was obvious in the way Eren acted that the brat held something akin to puppy love for him, but he had never pursued the thought further than that._

_Levi would have already made a move on him if the kid wasn’t still in high school. Somewhere along the line, the kid had grown up. Eren certainly wasn’t the tiny brat with chubby cheeks and a toothy grin anymore. It was amazing how a filthy diaper-wearing brat could grow up and become so attractive. The brat had filled out nicely over the years. Eren was definitely his type – long legged, tanned, and gorgeous. Having seen Eren in swimming trunks before gave him a good indication of what Eren would look like sprawled out in the middle of his bed. He blinked at the sudden imagination, surprised such a thing had even come to mind._

_“Levi!” Eren cried out, hating to be reminded of their age difference. While he had already grown out of diapers by the time they had met, the rest of Levi’s statement was true. There was no point in hiding his thoughts. It was infuriating, but Levi had always been able to read him like an open book. It made pretending a stupid idea._

_He had already planned to confess today. He didn’t want Levi to think of him as the ‘neighbor’s kid who he babysat’ but as a potential romantic interest. It had already taken Eren months before he was certain of his feelings and convinced himself to confess them. But the uphill battle wasn’t won yet. In the private recesses of his mind, Eren admitted that calling Levi out for that particular reason might have been a little rushed. And suddenly being asked to confess those feelings made doing so way more difficult. That little phrase was lodged deeply in his throat and unwilling to emerge._

_“So…?” Levi prompted again. Eren was very much a stubborn shit, though one whose temper needed some improvement, so if the brat really wanted to hold his tongue, nothing would ever get him to loosen it. While that stubbornness was sometimes infuriating, it also added to his appeal oddly enough._

_Eren knew if he really wanted to, Levi wouldn’t be able to force those words out of him. But the need to express himself was burning a hole in his gut. Breathing in deeply, Eren didn’t dare look at his prospective boyfriend in the eyes as he spoke. “I… I like you.”_

_“I like you too, brat.” Levi chuckled, ruffling his hair affectionately the same way he used to do when they were kids._

_“No…” Levi probably thought Eren liked him as an older brother or friend, but that wasn’t it. What he felt was in no way platonic. Drastic action was needed if he wanted the older man to see him as anything_ but _a kid. “I meant like this.” Leaning over, Eren pressed his lips against his crush’s, watching as Levi’s eyes widened._

_“So, umm… yeah…” He finished lamely, pulling back to stare at his fingernails and steeling himself for rejection. It was unlikely for him to stand an actual chance. Eren had heard stories, secondhand, from Mikasa about the people Levi had dated. All of them were Levi’s age and therefore much older than Eren was, and Levi didn’t seem the type to give in and date someone just because they asked._

_“Hoh.” Internally, Levi couldn’t help smiling at how forward Eren had been, stealing a kiss from him like that. Yet despite the brazen gesture, the kiss was beyond innocent, comprising of a mere press involving no swapping of spit or tongues. There was a rosy blush adorning those caramel-colored cheeks and shy smile as Eren’s emerald orbs darted to and fro. Cupping the soft cheek, he turned the brunet to face him, watching the rosy glow darken._

_Cute._

_But despite what he felt or thought, he wasn’t going to take advantage of a brat still in high school. Eren might have turned eighteen a week ago, but with such a large age gap between them and the brat being in school, it felt wrong starting something with Eren without his parents’ approval._


	9. Epilogue

_“Hi, Levi, it’s been so long!” Carla opened the door, delighted to see Kuchel’s son all grown up. She rarely saw Levi these days, but seeing him all grown up made her recall the memories of her son playing with the older boy. “Eren’s not at home right now. He’ll be back in about half an hour though. You’re welcome to stay until he comes back, of course.” She stepped aside to welcome him in._

_“No, I wanted to talk to you and Grisha actually.”_

_“Well, come on in.” Levi nodded, stepping into the warm Jaeger household that had served as a second home for him growing up. Although he had never stayed overnight, he had spent many hours here and knew it like the back of his hand. Trailing behind, he followed Carla to the kitchen. “Would you like something to drink? We have coffee and juice. Oh, and of course, tea.” She remembered at the last moment, recalling a preference for tea that was unusual for most youngsters in his generation._

_“Tea would be great. Thank you.”_

_“Still so polite. If only Eren was as polite as you…” Carla shook her head in resignation, grabbing the tea bags out and steeping a cup. If Eren had even an ounce of Levi’s maturity and self-discipline, she would be much less concerned about her son. She loved Eren dearly, but sometimes it was difficult dealing with his hard-headed stubbornness._

_She had always liked the older dark-haired teen, now young adult. Compared to other teens who spent more time watching television or on the phone with friends, Levi had kept more to himself, which only made her want to mother him more. And despite how quiet he was compared to the excited chatterbox that was her own son, Eren certainly had adored and glorified Levi._

_Levi shrugged, accepting the tea with a small nod. “Thank you.”_

_“Grisha’s not at home, so you can wait around if you’re free.”_

_“It’s okay. I’m sure he’s busy at the hospital.” Levi was aware the man was a doctor and hotshot at the hospital, Eren’s father hadn’t left much of an impression on him. For every ten times he saw Carla when he was younger, he saw Eren once or twice. He didn’t have much of a father figure growing up, so he really didn’t know what was considered normal paternal behavior. Eren was very close to his mom, and as far as Levi could tell, loved his dad too._

_“So what did you want to talk to me about? It must be important.”_

_“Well, it kind of is…” Levi trailed off uncertainly. He was still a bit nervous about what he wanted to say, but beginning a relationship with someone six years his junior without parental assent made his gut knot even faster. Despite how open-minded and warm-hearted the Jaeger couple was, they_ were _ferociously protective of their son._

_Looking up at Carla, he could easily see where Eren had inherited his features from. The oval-shaped face, deep emerald green eyes, the lightly tanned complexion, and chocolaty brown locks. The only differences were that Eren’s face was more angular, his eyes were a little bluer or golden depending on the light, his skin a little darker from the number of hours out in the sun, and his hair was much shorter and messier, but soft like down._

_Thinking of Eren just made what he was going to do that much more_ real _. He had known for a while, ever since the brat hit puberty, lost his baby face, and started growing taller than he was that Eren was definitely his type. Levi had never realized he_ had _a type until Eren came around. He knew he was gay, had dated and fooled around a bit, but he had never really felt as strongly towards anyone as he did Eren._

_Breathing in deeply, he faced Eren’s mother once more. Best get it over with. “I want to date your son.”_

_Carla blinked at the open declaration. There was no hesitation in Levi’s eyes. Nor did his voice waver. She had always known that Eren had an inordinate fondness for Levi. Eren’s childhood was filled with declarations of marriage to the older boy, but they faded away after Levi had moved. It was adorable watching her son chasing after Levi when they were younger, but Carla had never imagined it would grow into romantic love._

_“I’m aware there is a six-year difference between us.” Six years wasn’t even that large of an age gap for older couples, though it was a little big since Eren was still young. “But before you say anything, let me just say that we haven’t done anything yet.” They had kissed – or rather Eren had snuck one on him – but he let that small episode slide. Levi paused for a bit, trying his best not to fuck up what he wanted to say. “I like Eren and he likes me. And given how long we’ve known each other, I thought it best to ask first.”_

_He left out the part that they were both of age and didn’t need permission. It was more for peace of mind if Eren’s parents were on the same page and approved of it._

_“Well, Levi… this is certainly surprising.” Carla replied carefully. She had nothing against her baby boy dating someone a little older, but Levi_ was _practically a member of society and Eren hadn’t yet completed high school. However, she had known Levi growing up and he wasn’t the type of person to lead Eren astray. If anything, the young man in front of her already knew of and would be able to temper her own son’s brash recklessness. “I know Eren’s been acting a little off lately, but if what you’re saying is true, then it makes sense. I can’t say anything for my husband, but I would like to speak with Eren first…”_

_“Mom, I’m home!” Dropping his bag on the sofa, Eren could smell the delicious scent of home-baked chocolate chip cookies._

_“In here, honey.”_

_“Hey mom.” The brunet plopped down without preamble, and grabbed one of the cookies, devouring it with gusto. “Damn, these are good.”_

_“Language, Eren.” Carla chided. It was inevitable for her son to pick up the bad habits of his peers, but sometimes she wished he could be her perfect baby boy for a little longer._

_“I meant_ gosh _, these are good.” Eren corrected himself, immediately grabbing another cookie. He had yet to hear from Levi, but the older male had told him he would be talking to Eren’s parents as soon as possible._

_“I’m glad you think so.” She hummed, handing her son a glass of milk as she did so. There was a huff of disbelief – Eren hated being treated as a child – but she knew his fondness for milk and cookies. “And did you wash your hands before having one?”_

_“Fine…” Eren grumbled, hopping off the stool and quickly rushed to the sink._

_“By the way,” she started, watching her son’s reaction carefully as he returned to the table and resumed his snacking. “Levi came by today.”_

_“He did?” She immediately caught Eren’s stiffening. His eyes were focused intensely on the cookie halfway into the milk glass. “What did he say?”_

_“Well, he asked if he could date you.” Judging from the way Eren was acting, she knew her son was aware of_ some _conversation with the older boy._

_“He did? And what did you say?” He had already come out to his parents, but their knowledge and approval of his relationship with Levi was another issue. While his mom was generally supportive and knew Levi, there was a substantial gap between their ages. It had even freaked Eren a little when he first considered dating someone in his mid-twenties._

_“Well, I told him I wanted to speak with you first.” Carla could read the intense expression her son sported. “Levi tells me you confessed to him. Is that right?”_

_“Y-yes… I mean I did…” She watched Eren’s fidgeting increase. His green eyes never meeting hers as he toyed with his glass of milk._

_“How do you feel about him?”_

_“I love him.” The words came out in a rush. She saw the small nervous upturn on Eren’s lips as he thought about his potential boyfriend._

_Internally sighing that she would never get to see her grandchildren, Carla knew her son well enough from the way Eren was behaving that he truly liked Levi. Her husband would likely have a few choice words to say to their son, but all that mattered was that Eren was happy. Besides, if they said no, she knew enough about her wayward son to know that he would never give up. Eren was much too stubborn to quietly acquiesce if they disapproved._

_“So, how’d it go?” Levi breathed, waiting anxiously for the news. Eren had texted him half an hour ago about his meeting with Carla, and despite the positive feel their meeting elicited, he knew that she had been on the fence about their relationship._

_The brat would definitely find a way to circumvent his parents if they didn’t give their blessings – Eren was stubborn like that –nor were they technically necessary since Eren was of age, but Levi wanted it done right. Sneaking behind their backs would only seem suspicious and make things more difficult in the long run._

_“They said yes!” Before Levi could stop him, Eren rushed at him, wrapping his arms around tightly, before lips sloppily mashed his own._

_When they broke away, Eren frowned at the small scowl Levi had on. “What’s wrong, Levi?”_

_“You suck at kissing, brat. All teeth and no finesse.”_

_“Well how would you do it then, Mister-I’m-better-than-yo– mmph…” Eren was a little surprised when Levi’s mouth was on him, but he quickly got the hang of it as he threaded one hand into Levi’s hair and the other on top of his shoulders._

 

* * *

 

“I can’t believe today’s our second last day here.” Eren stared mournfully at the golden sun beginning to set over the water.

They had no plans for tomorrow, it was left open for any last minute things they might have planned and packing for the early morning flight the day after, but the last three weeks had been _magical_. They had flown into in Barcelona and immediately driven to Toulouse. From there, they had travelled along the southern coast, visiting cities such as Marseilles and enjoying Provençal cuisine, before driving up from Nice through Lyon and the Loire valley. There, Eren had stuffed himself and fell in love with wine. Finally, they had ended Paris, spending the last couple of days touring the capital city.

“Stop moping. It’s not like we can’t come again.”

“But Levi, aren’t you sad we’re leaving? It’s like all the time flew by without us even noticing it!” There were so many other things he wanted to see and do. They had gone to most of the popular sights, but there was more to France than that. Eren adored the tiny shops and cafes hidden on some small streets, the delicious pastries, and the old city feel of uneven cobblestone streets. Of course, if he hadn’t been travelling with Levi who spoke French like a native, he might have felt much differently.

“You’re exaggerating.” Levi rolled his eyes. The last couple of days had, indeed, gone by fairly quickly. But it was expected given how much they had seen and done. Although he had missed all the gourmet French cuisine, he was a little put-off by how busy and gross the streets of central Paris were from all the tourists. It was to be expected, though, given how they were traveling in June.

Eren pouted at his less than impressed reply. But Levi didn’t end his critique there. Levi’s brow furrowed at the sight of his food. “And stop butchering your food, brat.”

Glancing down, Eren could see that some of the pieces of fish had been torn apart by his aimless stabbing of the spoon. It looked less appealing than before, but it certainly wasn’t butchered. Instead of complying, Eren stuck out his tongue. “Make me.”

To prove his point that it wasn’t destroyed, he carried a generous spoonful into his mouth. And it still tasted the same. A light savory tomato-based seafood stew with bits of fish and bread in this particular bite.

“Why am I still dating you…?” The Frenchman sighed to himself. Most days Levi definitely knew the reason for it, but sometimes it felt like he was dealing with a twelve-year-old kid instead of a recent college graduate.

The entrees were followed by a cheese plate. Nibbling on a piece of Comté, Eren wondered whether it would be possible to bring some back Stateside. He had grown up eating German and American cheeses, but it was like another world of them was revealed when he went to France. There were so many that he had never heard of. It would be a great gift to bring back for his parents who both loved cheese.

The rest of the meal was finished with chocolate soufflé and coffee. The lightly sweet dessert had literally melted in his mouth, the subtle cocoa pairing well with the cappuccino ice cream on the side. The bitterness of the coffee was good as well, cleansing his palate after the delicious meal. Thoroughly savoring the last bit of the fluffy goodness on his palate, he looked outside the window and caught sight of the Eiffel Tower being lit up.

“Look, the Eiffel Tower! It’s sparkling!”

“Tch.” Levi clicked his tongue at Eren’s enthusiasm. They had already seen the sparkling lights on the monument more than once on the trip. Instead of the twinkling pinpricks of lights or the orange glow reflecting on dark waters, Levi’s attention was on one thing and one thing only: Eren.

It was now or never, he supposed. The strains of _La vie en rose_ being played in the background couldn’t be more fitting for the occasion. Pulling the small velvety box from his pocket, Levi stood up and slowly got down on one knee. Propping it open, he breathed in, ready to pop the question.

“Le-Levi?” Eren was stunned when he saw Levi bend down on one knee. In his hand was a black box. Everything around them faded out of sight; all he could focus was Levi on his knee in front of him.

“Close your mouth and stop gaping at me like that.” Levi couldn’t help the first few words that came out of his mouth. While the roundness of those big green eyes alit with excitement was not unusual for the situation, his mind couldn’t help supplying that Eren looked like a fish. “You look stupid.”

Immediately shutting his mouth, Eren’s heart was pounding ten times faster than normal. They had joked about marrying one day, but he had never expected Levi to propose to him. And while on a cruise on the River Seine with the Eiffel tower sparkling in the distance no less.

“Eren, I can still remember the surprise when you first asked me to marry you. It was a little irritating how stubborn you were, never taking no and plaguing me until I agreed.” The first time was amusing, but Eren couldn’t take rejection and spent nearly an hour a day bugging him about it. “I had no intention of marrying a five-year-old brat back then." A wistful smile crept on Levi's face at the memory of Eren proposing with a fistful of flowers. "But after all the years we’ve been together, I can’t see myself without you.”

Popping open the top of the box, Levi gulped as the a small silver band adorned with a single small sapphire inlaid in the middle was revealed. “So, will you marry me, Eren Lukas Jaeger?”

“Oh my god, yes, Levi! Yes!”

The live music was drowned out by the cheers and applause for the newly engaged couple as Eren threw his arms around Levi and soundly kissed his fiancé.

[](https://78.media.tumblr.com/6fd6a73465668e3e739f6faca4511ec7/tumblr_p3zzl7yQTX1umx603o5_1280.jpg) | [](https://78.media.tumblr.com/91729e0da874851e03e9969a09fb3120/tumblr_p3zzl7yQTX1umx603o6_1280.jpg)  
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“So what do you wanna do now?” Eren wrapped his arms around his _fiancé’s_ shoulders, pressing his forehead against Levi’s once they were safely in their hotel room.

“Levi?” He was bewildered when Levi pulled away instead of kissing him as he expected.

“Hang on.” Tracking Levi’s movements, Eren’s eyes widened when he saw what the dark-haired man was going. He must have been distracted not to see the bright splash of red against the taupe surface. But it was clearly visible in Levi’s outstretched hands. “Here. For you.”

“Thank you.” The corners of Eren’s mouth lifted, cracking into a gentle smile. The brunet had no idea where and when his partner had found time to sneak off and purchase the bouquet of crimson blossoms. There had been a brief half-hour when he had wandered off to browse the luxury goods on Champs-Élysées, but Levi had managed to procure the bouquet _and_ somehow hide them in their room. “I can’t believe you got me so many flowers. What am I supposed to do with all of them?”

“Tch, figure it out. I’m going to take a shit.” Levi immediately headed for the bathroom without a backwards glance.

“Levi!” Eren exclaimed, mildly scandalized by Levi suddenly talking about something not meant for polite company. The mood was completely ruined, but then again, he knew enough about his future husband to expect such from him. Levi's foul language and moody disposition was an unwavering fact.

Turning back to the large bouquet in his arms, he took a deep appreciative sniff. He wasn’t into flowers – his mother certainly was – but Eren knew enough to know that there was an entire language dedicated to flowers and dedications of emotion. Curious, he pulled out his phone and searched for the information.

He was immediately stunned by the number of search results which came up. Scrolling through the links, Eren clicked on one which seemed dedicated to deciphering the meanings of roses by color, species (and cultivars, whatever they were), and even number. Though it was fairly clear what they symbolized, Eren’s heart warmed as the website confirmed his expectations that red roses signified love and romance.

What interested him more, however, was the link for number of rose stems. While waiting for the page to load, he rapidly counted through the crimson blooms. He had _almost_ expected Levi select nineteen for the number of years they knew each other, but there were two extras for a total of twenty-one. Skimming through the lower numbered meanings, what he found surprised him. Grinning to himself, Eren recounted the number of flowers just to make sure before rereading the description.

> 21 roses – devotion or ‘I’m devoted to you.’

Levi was never one for overt or passionate declarations of affection, and that tiny difference made his message considerably more meaningful. ‘I’m devoted to you’ was certainly Levi would _never_ say to his face.

Snapping up a quick photo of the bouquet and his ring before he forgot, Eren put his phone away. He took one last appreciative whiff of the flowers before they joined his phone on the table.

Face flush and heart full, Eren strode out to the balcony to get a breath of fresh air. He wanted to announce his feelings and love for the entire world. To call home and recount the news. His parents might not be as surprised – Levi might have asked and or consulted with them first – but most of his friends would be caught off guard.  _He_ had been caught off guard.

Yet at the same time, Eren didn’t want anyone to intrude and know about the special occasion. It was an intimate moment for just Levi and him. Something precious and would only happen once in his life. And being in the heart of the city of love only enhanced that sensation. Eren wanted to cherish it for as long as possible.

“What are you doing? It’s cold out here.”

“Really?” Eren spun around and smiled at his silently frowning fiancé. They were pretty high up and exposed to the elements, but it wasn’t cold. It was pleasantly warm, bordering on cool whenever a breeze decided to grace them with its presence. “I’ll warm you up then?”

“Tch, shitty brat.” The mild retort was undermined by Levi stepping into his embrace, taking Eren’s previous spot as he leaned forward on the balcony.

“Mmm, you love and are _devoted_ to this shitty brat.” He nuzzled the silky strands of Levi’s undercut, grinning at his tactful reference to the bouquet.

“Tch.” Levi stole Eren’s arms, positioning them tighter around his core as a breeze swept through his locks. The roses had been a last-minute decision. He wasn’t one for grand gestures, but Eren tended to enjoy those types of fluffy, romantic displays. And of course, if he was going to do something, Levi was going to do it right. The typical ‘I’m yours’ was too cliché and didn’t accurately express the depth of his feelings.

Brushing his fingers over Eren’s hands, he bumped against the thin metal band wrapped around tanned fingers. “Y’know, I’m still waiting for that ring, Jaeger.”

“I’ll get you yours soon.” The lack of an engagement ring was an oversight – not that he had any idea Levi was going to propose – Eren was going to fix when they returned stateside. Furthermore, it would double as pest protection for anyone that wanted to make a move on his fiancé.

Resting his chin on Levi’s shoulder, he wrapped his hand around Levi’s, bringing them up to casually examine those pale, elegant digits before switching to observe his own ring finger. The small stone wasn’t visible in the darkness of the night, but he knew it was there. It made him wonder how long Levi had searched for it.

Thinking about rings and marriage quickly brought him to other things associated with marriage. “You know, our moms are going to be upset since we won’t be able to have kids.”

“Tch, we can always adopt.” Levi clicked his tongue at the minor issue. He had already talked to his mom and they had long since come to terms that Kuchel would likely never see her biological grandchild(ren). But as she had told him, it was better finding one’s _âme sœur_ or soulmate than being in a broken marriage and having children. And Levi knew he had that in the brat standing behind him.

“But it’s not the same thing.” Eren sighed, tightening his arms around his fiancé. His parents absolutely adored Levi, but it was still a little unfortunate that he would never be able to see a small version of Levi running around. Levi had watched over him when he was growing up, so turnabout was only fair. Too bad it would never happen though.

“Maybe we should try a little _harder_ then?”

“That’s impossible, Levi.” Eren exhaled sadly, not catching the innuendo, as he watched the glittery city of Paris slowly go to sleep from their balcony window.

Levi scowled at how dense his lover was at times. Not being able to have kids wasn’t the end of the world. There were many orphans out there who needed a loving home. And given Eren’s childish streak, it was as though there was already a child in the house. “We’ll never know unless we try, Eren.”

“What are you say–mmhh!” Eren moaned as Levi suddenly turned around and grabbed his ass, melding their bodies together, and pulling him down for a kiss. _“Je t’aime_ , Eren.”

 _“Je t’aime aussi_. I love you too.” Eren breathed back, grinning at his fiancé. After four years, he was _finally_ able to reply to Levi in French. Although Levi was fluent in English, it felt more meaningful being able to say those three little words in his fiancé’s native tongue. He wasn’t able to make out the rest of the words Levi was saying to him, though, as he leaned his head back to allow the older man access to his neck.

The two of them quickly retreated into the hotel room, where they made love into the wee hours of the morning. _This_ time, there wasn’t anything urgent waiting for them the next day.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! <(_ _)>  
> You can also find me on tumblr or Discord (see my profile!).
> 
> Until next time!


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